Titans a Wassailing
by Japhith
Summary: A little holiday cheer sometimes goes a long way. A series of unrelated one shots featuring the Titans at large and their holiday exploits.
1. Wassailing

Titans-a-Wassailing

A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

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A-Wassailing

* * *

"You want me to go do what?" Cyborg looked over at Beast Boy from where he sat on the couch, flipping channels. Speedy sat next to him (a random visit to the Tower… he claimed it was just to annoy Robin) and looked just as baffled as Cy felt. Raven floated in her reading corner, ignoring all of them. 

"We should go wassailing!" Beast Boy replied. He looked excited, "You know! Like the song!"

"What song?" Cyborg shook his head, "Did buy more of those mushrooms from the Chinese guy down on Market Street? Man, I told you he's shady…"

"Screw off Cy. It's a famous Christmas song and stuff. You know!" he started singing off key, "Here we go a-wassailing among the leaves so green!"

"No, wait…" Speedy spoke up, "Isn't that 'Here we go a-whistling?'"

"No, it's wassailing." Beast Boy replied, "Haven't you ever seen that claymation Christmas special with the California Raisins in it?"

"Dude, what?" Speedy got up and walked over to him. He felt Beast Boy's forehead, "You didn't buy any funny mushrooms, did you?"

"Dude, the California Raisins! They sing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer all R&B style." The green changeling swatted the archer's hands away.

"Maybe it's a-whittling." Cyborg spoke up.

"Shut up man." Beast Boy waved him off, "You've never even heard the song before!"

"But I have, and I don't think it's wassailing." Speedy shook his head, "How do you wassail?"

"It's totally easy dude!" Beast Boy shouted, waving his arms, "You just… just…" he grew frustrated and called across the room, "Raven! Help me out here!"

Raven didn't even look up from her book as she replied, "There are three forms of Christmas/New Year celebration involving wassail, a beverage originally made of mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, nuts, eggs and spices. In modern times the concoction has been replaced by eggnog or spiced cider, but the legend of its inception goes right back to Saxon times and is spelt out in Geoffrey of Monmouth's_History of the Kings of Britain_ and involves Rowena, daughter of Hengist, a Saxon mercenary, who presents the future King Vortigern with a bowl of mulled wine and the cheer "Waes Hael!", meaning good health. Vortigern, of course, falls in love with the beautiful Saxon maiden and marries her. Traditionally this drink and its more modern variant, Lamb's Wool, is served on New Year's Eve and Twelfth Night. Lambs Wool is heated cider spiced with sugar, nutmeg and ginger. Roast apples float on the surface and when the soft apple pulp bursts into the vat, it gives the drink a frothy or woolly look.

"The phrase Waes Hael eventually evolved into the single word that we know today as wassail. The use of wassailing to mean 'caroling' very likely descended from the custom of singing songs while drinking from the wassail bowl during the Christmas holidays.

"Wassailing takes place on January 7th and begins with the eating of hot cakes and the drinking of cider or a brew of cider, brandy, ale and spices drunk hot from a 'wassail bowl'. This is followed by a visit to an apple orchard, where the apple trees are wassailed to insure a fine crop of cider apples in the summer.

"A cake or some other food gift is placed at the foot of the tree, and splashed with cider. Then the revelers shoot among the branches to frighten off evil spirits, pots and pans are banged and a special wassail song is sung.

"The wassail procession eventually left the orchards and became a strolling Christmas party with caroling, visiting different houses and being invited in for punch." She looked up from her book finally and blinked at them, "Since the old pagan rituals have pretty much died out, we could go Wassailing at any time. All we need to do is sing the song and people will know what we're doing."

The three boys stared back at her with their mouths hanging open. Raven stared back for a moment, then shut her book and stood up. "So… are we going then?" And she walked past them to the kitchen, "I'll heat up some cider. Beast Boy, find a big enough bowl for all of us to drink out of."

"Um… okay…" he walked into the kitchen after her.

Speedy and Cyborg looked at each other with blank expressions and shrugged. Just then the doors to the elevator opened and Robin stepped into the room, Starfire floating after him, "Hey Cy. Speedy. Didn't know you were here."

"Came by for the party." Speedy replied with a grin.

"What party?" Robin frowned, "You're not trying to smuggle liquor into the Tower again are you?"

"Naw." Cy slapped Robin's shoulder and the Boy Wonder stumbled, "We're all going Wassailing tonight!"

"Wait… what?" he looked confused.

Starfire clapped her hands, "Glorious!" she laughed, then paused and looked over at Speedy, "Please friend… what is 'wassailing?'"

Cyborg, Speedy and Beast Boy all called, "Raven!"

"There are three forms of Christmas/New Year celebration involving wassail…"

* * *

Note – The information on the wassail celebration in this chapter was taken directly from Letters to Santa (http://www. operationlettertosanta. com/Traditions/Wassailing. htm) and Time Travel Britain (http://www .timetravel-britain. com/05/Dec/wassail. shtml). Just copy and past the url's to your browser and take out the spaces to visit the sites. Very enjoyable reads if you want a little more background.

Stay tuned...

-Jake


	2. Let it Snow

Titans-a-Wassailing

A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

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Let It Snow

* * *

-From Robin's personal log – December 15th, 2006-

I've decided to forbid the Titans from having snowball fights on the island. Ever. Again.

I've reached this decision based on events that happened earlier today that will live in infamy for the remaining tenure of this team and be known henceforth as the Great Snowball Massacre of '04.

It's a rare thing to see snow in central California, and when we do get it, it never sticks. Not like back in Gotham where when it snowed it fell with two feet of accumulation a night and stayed until the spring thaw. No, here snow just isn't that common.

This year though, Jump City played host to the Weather Wizard. Now he normally doesn't range too far from Keystone City, so usually the Flash takes care of him. Apparently he was after some tech that the local branch of STAR Labs was making though, so he decided to drop by and wreak some havoc. Obviously no one told him the Titans were fairly strict when it comes to super villains.

We beat them all down equally.

Some time during the battle he decided to conger a blizzard, thinking that a team of capes on the west coast wouldn't know how to fight in the snow. Since I'm from Gotham, and Cyborg is from Metropolis, we didn't have any problems at all. Snow was a way of life when we were growing up. Raven doesn't need to see an adversary to attack him, and Starfire barely feels the cold, so there was no real problem for them either. Even Beast Boy, who spent most of his formative years in a jungle in Africa didn't seem to have too much of a problem. He just turned into a polar bear.

Still, after the battle was over and we had Weather Wizard in custody, he'd left a sizeable amount of snow in the city. School was canceled for the day (a snow day in Jump City… who would have ever thought it could happen…) and more than half the city shut down until the snow could all melt. We knew it wouldn't take too long with the mild winters we have here (it was 43 degrees most of today) so the Titans decided to take advantage of the situation while we could and introduce Starfire to snow games.

The snowmen went fine. Snow angels did too (even Raven made one.) The trouble started when Beast Boy started building a snow fort and declared himself King of the east side of the Island. Cyborg couldn't let him get away with that of course, and he and Starfire quickly had their own fort built and had declared the west side of the island the Republic of Titania. In the interest of fair play, I joined Beast Boy and he knighted me. Everyone looked to Raven and she looked back with apathy.

Just as she was about to tell us that she didn't 'do' snowball fights, and that her presence would just unbalance the teams, Kind Flash showed up. He had been held up in Keystone with Mirror Master and Trickster he explained, otherwise he would have been there to help us with Weather Wizard. Cyborg quickly drafted him into the service of the Republic, so Raven begrudgingly joined Beast Boy's newly dubbed Kingdom of the Beast.

We decided on a half hour preparation ceasefire before the engagement began. I'm not sure what the Republic of Titania got up to, but Beast Boy ordered his two subjects to begin ammo production while he gathered more snow and bolstered the defenses. Raven and I did just that, as quickly as possible. We knew that with the two strongest members of our team, plus the fastest teen alive as our opposing force, we'd need to use strategy and stealth if we stood any chance of winning.

We dismantled some of my freeze disks and took of the cooling elements. I worked quickly to downgrade their blast zones and splash effect, then packed them in snowballs. Raven used her powers to mass produce ammo. Beast Boy re-enforced the fort he'd built, and worked on building large mounds of snow that he could sling with a stegosaurs tail like a catapult.

At the appointed time, I contacted Cyborg with my com and the Kingdom of the Beast officially declared war on the Republic of Titania. He replied by lobbing a snowball from the other side of the island and hitting me in the shoulder.

Since I hadn't anticipated him having accuracy at that range, I decided we should bring out the big guns first. I ordered a salvo of snow bombs, and Beast Boy (despite being King) took the order and ran with it. After ten minutes of the snow howitzer that was Beast Boy, I took a look at their fort with my binoculars. It was in pretty sorry shape, but still standing. The Republic was going to go down without a fight though, and as soon as the shelling stopped, Cyborg and Starfire opened fire with snowball after snowball.

I moved to good cover and ordered Raven to fire off some of our own arsenal. She did so with a light grin, centering her attack on Cyborg, who was far more accurate at range than Starfire. I suspect she derived some kind of sadistic glee out of pounding him, as he had spilled her tea on her cloak just this morning.

Since we seemed to have them on the defensive already, I ordered a full scale raid. We left cover and ran out into the field, dodging when we could and only pausing to gather more snow in our hands to use as ammunition. When we were within fifty yards of the Republic's fort, they brought out their secret weapon.

Kid Flash began a rapid fire snowball assault. Now, one snowball hitting me at a hundred miles per hour I can take, but five hundred is wearing it a bit thin even for me. The body armor in my costume took most of the abuse, but I'm still bruised like you wouldn't believe. Raven was forced to put up a shield, and Beast Boy had to become a tortoise to have something to hide behind. We fell back and Raven called to me to form a new plan of attack, since Kid Flash was obviously using ammo faster than Cyborg and Starfire could replenish him. We knew it would only be a matter of time before they were out of weapons and we'd be able to devastate them as they hid in their already shaky fort.

Cyborg realized this as well, however. He ordered Starfire and Kid Flash out to the field and they complied with a war cry. We now faced off in an open expanse next to the Tower, between our two forts, with nothing to fight with except the snow on the ground all around us.

What followed can only be described as one of the most horrific battles in human history. Raven retrieved the ice bombs that I had made and used them on Kid Flash as soon as she could. With him slowed down enough to even the odds a little, the battle began to escalate. I won't go into detail here, but suffice to say that almost all of the windows on the lower levels of the Tower will need to be replaced, I lost both my boots, Cyborg wont be combat ready for at least two days due to the need for replacement parts, we all got head colds, and Raven will never be able to wear the cloak she had on today ever again.

Kid Flash is staying here tonight, claiming the need to have a dry uniform before he goes running around at three times the speed of sound. We gave him a guest room and he turned in an hour ago. Raven and Starfire monopolized the shower for over an hour, and now Beast Boy is in, warming up. I volunteered to go last.

So no more snowball fights on the island. The damage to the Tower was just too great. There was no clear winner today in the battle between the Kingdom of the Beast and the Republic of Titania, but one thing is certain; we all had a blast. Maybe next time we end up with a foot of snow for some reason, we'll do it again in the park.

Or in the desert outside of the city, away from all the buildings.

-End Entry-

* * *

Just got a whole heap of snow where I live. Decided this would be a good one to post now.

-Jake


	3. Humbug

Titans-a-Wassailing

A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

* * *

Humbug

* * *

Note: Edited some serious typos. Ignore repost if you're already read it.

* * *

Robin stepped into the main room of Titans Tower, whistling a merry tune and toting a box full of ornaments. As he deposited the box at the foot of the ten foot tree that was set up to the right of the TV, he wiped his brow, "Man, these boxes get heavier every year… we should start storing them somewhere other than the basement." He looked around for agreement, but found the room strangely empty. 

Well, empty with the notable exception of Raven, who was floating in the corner, her nose in a book, ignoring him.

"Hmm." Robin glanced around, "Hey, Raven? Where is everyone? Star was supposed to help me with the lights on the tree, and Beast Boy never missed decorating."

Raven didn't reply, but pointed up and out the window she was next to. Robin walked over, opened the window and looked outside. Turning his head up, he sighed, "Oh jeez… Cy's trying to do the lights around the perimeter of the Tower again, isn't he?" He could see Starfire and Beast Boy flying around with strands of lights, and assumed Cyborg was on the roof, giving directions.

Raven nodded, still reading. As she reached over and picked up her tea from a table next to her, Robin frowned. She sipped the beverage, being careful to hold it away from her book as he closed the window and turned back to her. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to help with the lights on the tree?"

Raven read for a few more lines, marked her place with a finger and looked up at her team leader, "What?"

Robin frowned deeper, "Were you just completely ignoring me?"

Raven blinked, "Yes."

"Well, either something's wrong with you or that's a really good book then."

"I'm fine."

"Must be a good read, huh?"

"It's the third time I've read this book." She didn't seem phased by his line of questioning.

Robin sighed, "I know you don't believe in the Christian God, Raven, but the way we celebrate Christmas at the Tower doesn't have much of anything to do with religion. It's all about good will towards men and holiday cheer." He smiled a little, "Why don't you ever participate?"

Raven slowly closed her book, "Robin, when have you ever known me to be cheerful or have good will towards anyone?"

"Point." He shook his head, "I just wish you could at least try to see the season for what it is."

"I understand the concept."  
"I don't really think you do."

"If I help you put the lights up will you drop it?"

Robin frowned even more deeply then before, "Raven…"

"I don't see why I have to be cheerful just because it's Christmas time."

Robin stared for a second, then an idea lit up his brain. "Alright, I've got it. Come with me."

"I'm reading."

"This is Titan business. The book can wait."

"Robin…"

"Just come on." And he walked away.

What choice did she have? Raven sat her book aside and followed. As Robin made it to the elevator, the doors opened. Before he could step on, the power blew out and all the lights and computers in the main room shut down. If it hadn't been mid-afternoon, the two of them would have been plunged into darkness.

A moment later, their communicators crackled with Cyborg's voice, _"Uh… no worries, ya'll! I can fix it!"_

Robin sighed again, "Maybe we should take the stairs."

* * *

"The mail room?" Raven asked as the two of them stopped outside a door. "Robin, what is this?" 

The Titans got en enormous amount of mail. Sorting it had become such a problem that Cyborg had designed a system to scan the names of the party each letter was addressed to and place it in the appropriate stack. There was a general trey, then one for each Titan at the Tower. Miscellaneous mail was sorted into a bin.

As the two Titans walked in, they both immediately looked to the bins, even as the computer system was sorting a brand new, huge pile of mail. The treys looked dramatically different from one another. Robin's trey had a large pile of letters, mostly sealed with pink lipstick kisses and little hearts. He sorted them once a month and tossed the ones he didn't feel the need to respond to. Beast Boy's was far less full, as he made it a point to collect all the pictures that cute girls sent to him. Starfire answered her fan mail religiously, making it a point to attempt to write back to everyone who wrote to her. None of them knew where she found the time.

Cyborg's pile was small as well, but only because he was able to answer much of it while he was powered down. He simply had his computers make him dream of answering it, and when he woke up, freshly stacked responses were waiting for him. The only bin out of control was Raven's.

Letters had long ago ceased to fit into the bin and were overflowing to the floor, more by the second as the robotic arm sorting the mail dumped more letters on her stack. There had to be hundreds of envelopes, and she frowned at them in an irritated manner.

Robin motioned with one hand, "Your assignment will be to spread holiday cheer. You'll need some of you letters to do it."

"Robin, what is the point to all this?"

"To teach a lesson."

"What lesson?"  
"Figuring that out is part of the lesson." He smiled at her, "Raven, every year the Titans are inundated with letters asking for holiday miracles. We can't answer them all, but the rest of the team tries to at least get a few of the important ones done."

"Like what?" Raven gave him a sarcastic look.

"Well, last year I acquired financial assistance for a large group of homeless people at a shelter, and now most of them are working and living in apartments and houses. All the money that was donated was in the name of the little boy that asked me to see if I could help."

"How sickeningly sweet." Raven rolled her eyes, "What's this all about?"

Robin glared at her, "Read some of the letters, Raven. See if any of it moves you to action. If you come back to me by this time in two days and you still don't feel in the Christmas spirit, I'll never ask you to participate ever again."

Raven thought about it for a second, "Fine. Go decorate your tree… I have some reading to do."

Robin nodded, then back out of the mail room. As he watched Raven grab a handful of recent envelopes and sit at a desk in the corner to read them, the doors shut. Smiling, Robin began to whistle his merry tune once more, and trooped off to the basement to grab another box of decorations.

* * *

_Dear Raven,_

_All I want for Christmas is powers like yours, but my mom says I can't have any. How do I get some?_

_Love, Billy_

* * *

Raven fed the page into a paper shredder, "Brat."

* * *

_Dear Raven, _

_I was just wondering if you could use your mind powers to make this boy in my Chem class like me. He's really cute and I think I'm in love. So if you can, write back, okay?_

_A friend in need, Becky_

* * *

Again, the page went into the paper shredder, "Doesn't know what she wants…"

* * *

_My beautiful Raven,_

_Enclosed find a picture of my penis ring. Also note the size of my member. Please, if you wish for me to use this massive tool on you, simply come to my address and demand that you let me have my way with you… I promise you will not be disappointed…_

_Lustfully yours, Voltair_

* * *

Raven shook her head as she turned the picture to the side and squinted at it, "Who names themselves after a 15th Century French poet?"

* * *

_Dear Raven,_

_This is my Christmas list. My daddy says I can only have three things on it, but I think I deserve more. Can you see about getting me some of this stuff?_

_-Cheri_

* * *

Raven fed all twenty pages into the shredder with a look of disgust.

* * *

_Hey Raven, _

_It's been a long time since we've corresponded, but I figured the land dwellers holiday season was as good a time as any. We never got to finish our discussion on the similarities of Azrathian and Atlantian magic from our last letters, so I thought I'd open with some thoughts on the summoning process that we use for demons…_

* * *

Raven tucked Aqualad's letter off to the side, and made a mental note to write him back before the night was over.

* * *

_Deer Rayvn_

_OMG yur like sooooo cool. Yourr my favrit Titan and stuff I feel like we re BFFs or something so that's good right? Do you like boys or girls? My friend says girls but she's stupid. And-_

* * *

"Insipid." Raven shook her head, "What ever happened to good prose?"

* * *

_Dear Raven,_

_I'm a sixteen year old boy at Jump City Central High. I get picked on for enjoying reading and dying my hair black. No one understands me. They all think being goth is weird and evil. I know you don't think that way. Please, write me back so I know there's a friend out there that understands the things I'm going through. Please Raven… please…_

_Jack Cormichial_

* * *

Sighing, Raven fed the document into the shredder, "Dear Jack; Go cry and get over it. Love, Raven."

* * *

_Dear Raven,_

_My name is Cindy and I'm five years old. I live with my mommy at 534 Riverside Road. I really miss my daddy, but mommy says he's away on business right now. I haven't seen him in two years and mommy doesn't know when he'll be back. Can you please help me see my daddy, even for just a few seconds? You are my favorite Titan, so please can you help?_

_Love, Cindy_

* * *

Raven stared at the letter for a good long time. With a sigh, she folded it and tucked it into her cloak. Standing up, she turned to the doors of the mailroom, "I guess this one is as good as any to check out…"

* * *

A cute little girl with her blond hair up in pigtails was scribbling on the sidewalk with chalk out in front of the old brownstone at 534 Riverside. She was drawing a picture of two big stick figures holding the hands of one small stick figure. As she started to add yellow hair to the small figure, a shadow fell over her. She looked up and her eyes grew wide. 

Raven landed next to her with a billow of her cloak, and a silent nod. The little girl stared at her with huge blue eyes, her mouth hanging open a little. As the dark Titan let her cloak fall closed, she pushed her hood back off her head. Staring down at the little girl, she asked, "Are you Cindy?"

"You got my letter!" the little girl squealed and hurled herself forward. Raven staggered a little and let out a strangled noise of shock as the munchkin latched on to her legs and giggled, "Yay! Raven is going to help me!"

"Hey!" Raven waved her hands around, not quite sure what to do, "Stop that!"

"You're my favorite Titan, Raven!" Cindy giggled again.

Raven reached down and slowly pried the girl off of her, "Why would you like me?" she asked in a soft tone, "Isn't Robin cooler? Or Beast Boy more entertaining?"

Cindy just blinked at her for a second, as if she was confused. She tilted her head to the side and said, "I like you 'cuase you're the prettiest. And you have the coolest powers ever."

Raven stared back for a moment while she knelt in front of the girl, holding her at arms length. After a few seconds, she shook her head, "Where's your mommy, Cindy? I need to talk to her to see if I can go get your daddy for you."

"Cindy?" A voice called from the doorway of the brownstone. Raven looked over and saw a thin woman with long, straight blond hair and blue eyes looking about frantically. Raven stood up slowly so she wasn't blocking the woman's view any more.

"Here." She called out, and the woman caught sight of them. With a strangled cry she rushed down the steps of the building and ran over to them. She pulled Cindy away from Raven and pushed her towards the door of the house.

"Go inside Cindy, and wash up for dinner." She turned and glared at Raven.

"Aw! But I'm not done with my drawing yet! And Raven is here!"

"Miss Raven and I have to talk, Cindy. Go wash up."

"But Mommy-"

"Cindy Ann Hampton! Mommy said now!"

The little girl pouted, but walked towards the house anyway, "Okay. Bye, Raven!"

"Bye, Cindy." Raven waved, then turned back to the girl's mother as the little blond shut the door behind herself. The empath frowned, "I sense you're not happy to see me."

"You sense right." The woman scowled. "I helped her with the letter, but I never though you actually read them. Or that you'd actually come…"

Raven glared back, "Why wouldn't I?"

"I figured you had better things to do, like saving the world or something."

"Mrs. Hampton, it's Christmas time. We do what can."

"Well, go do good deeds somewhere else. We don't need you here."

"The little girl just wants to see her Daddy, Mrs. Hampton-"

"Stop calling me that. That's not my name anymore."

Raven paused, then nodded slowly, "Okay, I thought it was strange that her dad hadn't been home in two years, but I thought maybe he was just military or something. I'm starting to get a better idea of what's going on here."

"You want the truth? Fine. Mike decided that the only way he could support his family was by robbing a corner store. Or at least that's the story he gave me when I brought him the divorce papers to sign. He's been in jail for two years. Cindy can't handle that kind of truth right now. You will NOT tell her."

Raven narrowed her eyes, "Do you really think lying to her now is going to make it any less hard for her when you deem her old enough to know?"

"What would you know about it?" the woman turned her nose up and started to walk back towards the house, "What kind of parents let their child run around dressed like that anyway? And putting yourself in such danger…"

Raven glared at her retreating back and replied in a dead tone, "My parents are dead. I don't think they care."

The woman turned back to her, "Well I'm sorry. I hope things get better for you. Now go away and don't come back."

As Cindy's mother slammed the door of the house, Raven scowled. She was just trying to do a good deed, and she'd be damned if one angry mother was going to stand in her way of fulfilling a Christmas wish. "Standard prison sentence for small scale armed robbery is eighteen months…" she muttered to herself.

* * *

The sun was setting as Robin walked into the main living area of the Tower. The tree was decorated, Cyborg had managed to get the lights to work without blowing the Towers power grid, and he already had most of his shopping done for the year. The others were currently working on converting the volley ball court on the roof into an ice skating rink, and he was coming down to get a few mugs of hot chocolate to bring up to them. 

Just before he was about to enter the kitchen area, he paused and looked over at the main computer. Raven was sitting in the chair in front of the main screen with her legs folded underneath herself, and a Santa hat flopped over on her head. She was glaring stubbornly at the screens she was going through and scowling while she was sipping on what looked like eggnog while she munched on sugar cookies decorated to look like Christmas trees and snowmen.

"Um…" Robin walked over and stood behind her, "Getting into the spirt of things, I see…" he was well and truly flabbergasted.

"I'm doing what you asked me to." Raven replied in an irritated tone and bit the head off a snowman. As she chewed she flipped to another screen.

Robin read what was on the monitor, "Prison release records?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'm spreading holiday cheer to felons."

"Raven… if you're doing this to get back at me…"

"Oh, shut up Robin. I'm kidding. I'm working a case for a five year old."

"Ooookaaay…" Robin stepped away, "Whatever this is, just make sure it's safe for the kid."

"Like I'd let anything happen."

Robin paused as he turned to go back to the kitchen, "If you're looking for current addresses, you'll want to check the parole records in the rehabilitation section of the police mainframe. Login is 'redrobin88' and the pass is 'batarang.'"

Raven stopped her searching for a moment, then nodded without looking at him. She spoke quietly, but he heard her well enough, "Thank you."

Robin smiled and made his way to the kitchen.

* * *

It was half past eleven that night when an unshaven man wearing clothes that looked slept in stumbled out of a grimy looking bar down in the bowery. The wind cut at him and blew his rumpled clothes around his thin frame as a voice shouted from inside, "And don't come back 'till you've got the cash to pay yer damn tab, loser!" 

As laughter floated out the closing door, the man turned bloodshot eyes up the street and started walking into the wind. He dragged his feet in a dejected manner and plodded slowly, but deliberately on.

He'd only made it a half a block when the wind died suddenly. The sudden change in weather made him look up at take notice of his surroundings. As he tried to figure out what was going on, the man let out a sigh.

His breath came out in a puff of frosty mist.

"The hell…?" he looked up at the sky. It had been almost sixty degrees just a moment before. Now he shivered in the chill night, and looked about in fear as the shadows grew longer and darker. The man backed up until his back was to the wall of the building he stood next to, and began to edge on up the street.

With a swirl of black and blue, Raven appeared in front of him. The man screamed and pitched over backwards as she glared from inside her hood with glowing white eyes. "Henry David Hampton." The dark girl stated, "I've been looking for you."

"What?" he shouted, kicking his feet and pushing himself back from her as she floated forward a little, "What do you want? I haven't done nothin' since my parole! I've been clean!"

"And drunk." Raven landed in front of him, " Mr. Hampton, what are you doing with your life?"

He stared at her for a moment, then looked around, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No joke, Henry." Raven glared, "Just one of Santa's little helpers trying to grant a Christmas wish."

"What the hell are you babbling on about, Titan?"

Raven pushed her hood back and stared at him, her eyes no longer burning white, "Cindy misses her father, Henry. She wants to see him again."

"Cindy? My daughter?"

"Yes, your daughter. Who else would I be talking about?"

Henry looked away, "Sherry said I wasn't allowed to go near her."

"Custody was never decided in the divorce." Raven noted, "I looked it up. The issue was set aside pending your release from prison."

"Doesn't matter." Henry stood up and brushed himself off, "She's better off without me."

"Excuse me? Was that self pity I just heard?"

"No," Henry suddenly grew fierce, "That's the truth, Titan!" he began shouting, "What kind of father can I be to her, huh? I'm a drunk, a felon, and loser. I've got nothing! You hear me? NOTHING!"

Raven was a little shocked by his words, "Henry, the girl needs her father… you can't just-"

"Go to hell." Henry walked past her, "You want to grant Cindy a Christmas wish? Find her a _new_ daddy."

As he walked away up the street, Raven stared after him, then down at the ground. "Hmm." She looked back at the Tower, "Well, I tried, Robin."

* * *

_"What once was shall be undone!" The flames roared high into the sky and the massive read skinned demon spit his vile words down at the monks and pacifist citizens of Azarath. "My daughter WILL wield my authority over all life and death!_

_The fire blurred and faded and a dull grey room with walls and walls of book shelves surrounding a central table where an old woman sat lecturing came into focus. She spoke sternly, "You must remember to always keep control, child. You cannot hate. You cannot cry. But most of all, you cannot love. Love is the most powerful emotion, and once you begin to love, it traps you like a drug, and you never stop craving it. You cannot have friends. You cannot love anyone. Not even your own mother. Do not think of her as your mother, but simply Arella. She is nothing to you. Do you understand, child?"_

_A six year old Raven nodded, "Yes, Azar. I understand."_

* * *

Raven jerked awake and sat up in her bed, gasping for air. She looked about wildly for a moment, then calmed herself when she realized she'd been dreaming. Glancing at her clock, she saw it was almost 2:30 in the morning. 

The dream came back to her and she stared out her window at the city.

"Damnit." She growled, and swung her legs out of bed.

* * *

Henry David Hampton opened his refrigerator and shoved aside the rotting Chinese food to look in the back, "There's gotta be some beer in her somewhere…" he muttered. Finally finding a half full bottle in the back, he pulled it out and stood up, slamming the door. As he turned around to go back to the living room of his bug infested apartment and watch his half broken black and white TV, the ceiling above him became a pool of darkness. 

Henry didn't even have time to scream before the tendrils of dark energy grabbed him and yanked him up into the portal.

Henry found himself staring at Raven, her powers holding him aloft. "What-"

"Don't talk." Raven pointed down and he looked to see nothing but a few clouds and the lights of Jump City below him, "We're hovering at around forty thousand feet and I don't want you to pass out." Her powers pulled him closer and she sneered in his face, "I thought about what you said, Henry, and I decided that if I'm going to find Cindy a new father, I should probably get rid of the old once first. Right?"

"Uh…"

"Glad we agree." Raven's powers let him go.

Henry screamed as he began to plummet towards the ground.

* * *

"So what'd you see?" Raven asked as she hovered next to Henry. He was seated on top of his apartment building, wrapped in a blanket from his bed. Raven had been kind enough to get it for him. 

"What?"

"Most people, when faced with eminent death claim that they see their life flash before their eyes. I was just wondering what you saw." Raven stared at him intently for several minutes, but Henry didn't say anything. He just looked down at the street below. Raven sighed, "It's crap, isn't it? You don't see your life… the only thing you can think of is your biggest regrets… the stuff you could have done better, or done right." She reached out and touched his shoulder and he shuddered at the light contact, "You were in free fall for a good minute and a half, Henry, so I'm guessing you saw a lot." He nodded and Raven finally landed on the rooftop next to him. She sat down and stared off at the city lights uptown, "Tell me."

"I saw her… you know I did. She's my little angel… I just thought she'd be better off… I mean, look at me!"

"Henry…" Raven spoke softly, "I was never allowed to see my mother growing up because the monks who taught me to control my powers feared that love might break my concentration and send me into a world destroying rampage. My father is a demon. He raped my mother and forced his seed on her so that I could be created to destroy the world for him… I've always just been a tool for a monster that literally cannot feel anything but hate and anger." She turned her violet eyes to him and saw he was staring at her, "I never had parents to tell me how much they loved me, or how special I was to them… I know my mother loved me, but knowing that in hindsight is a poor substitute for the real thing. Cindy needs you, Henry." Raven looked away, "Don't let her grow up to be bitter and cold." The dark Titan looked up at the sky, "I have enough bitterness and coldness for the rest of the world as it is."

Raven stopped talking and the silence stretched into minutes. After a length of time when both of them were lost in their thoughts, Raven stood up, "I can't make you do anything you don't want to do, Henry. From here it's your choice. You'll have to do what you feel is best." She took to the air, "I have to get back to the Tower now… it's Christmas soon, after all." She looked back at him meaningfully, "I hope yours is a good one."

As she flew away, becoming smaller and smaller to his eyes, Henry began to cry. Just before she flew around a building and vanished from view, he whispered, "You have a good Christmas too… Raven."

* * *

Robin yawned hugely as he walked into the main room of Titans Tower. It was just past four in the morning, and he'd been woken from his slumber by a dream he couldn't remember. He scratched his side as he walked towards the kitchen for a glass of warm milk, wearing just grey sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and his mask. As he was about to turn into the kitchen, he saw for the second time in twenty four hours, Raven sitting off by herself in the main room. 

This time her Santa hat was sitting next to her on the floor and she was floating in front of the windows with her legs crossed, contemplating the gray half-light that comes to the world in the early morning hours. Sensing something amiss, he walked over.

"Hey Raven. How'd your spreading of Christmas cheer go?" She replied with a non-committal 'hurmph' so he tried a different track, "Let me ask you this then… how did it make you feel?"

Raven was silent for a few moments, then turned her face to look at him, "I don't usually 'feel' at all. You know that. But this… good I guess. Like I made a real difference that wasn't beating up bad guys or stopping disasters."

"I'm sure you did great."

"I think I did… just… how do you know that what you did… that it was… good? Not like doing-a-good-deed-good, but like… Christmas-miracle-good?"

"I don't know Raven… it's hard to tell some times if you really accomplished the goal…"

* * *

Little Cindy Hampton was eating her Trix the next morning when the knock came at the door. She jumped out of her seat and ran to the hallway to see who it was as her Mommy opened the door. 

**_"So what? We just have to live with the knowledge that we did a good deed?"_**

Henry Hampton looked like a new man as he stood on the threshold of the old brownstone, freshly shaved with clean clothes and a briefcase in his hand. His ex-wife was shocked and angry that he was standing there, but the excited squeal of his daughter made everything else not seem to matter so much.

**_"Well, Raven, sometimes you have to have faith."_**

**_"In what?"_**

**_"That when you hand someone a gift, they know what to do with it."_**

Sherry's heart melted a little as she watched her daughter sob on her father about how Raven the Titan had made her Christmas wish come true. She locked eyes with her ex-husband and nodded a little with a smile, "Why don't you come in for breakfast?" she said.

"I'd like that." He replied and stood up, carrying his daughter with him.

* * *

After several minutes of silence, Robin put a hand on Raven's shoulder, "Get some sleep Raven. The season is just beginning, and we have a lot of work to do yet." 

She nodded as she landed, "Yeah." They parted ways, she going for the elevator, and he for the kitchen. She paused halfway through the room and looked back over at him, "Hey, Robin?"

"Yeah?" he looked back over at her as well.

"Thanks."

He smiled lightly, "Any time, Raven."

She smiled back, and continued on to the elevator. As she stepped in to it, she made a mental note to go through some more letters that afternoon when she woke up.


	4. From One to NinetyTwo

Titans-a-Wassailing

A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

From One to Ninety-Two

* * *

Titans Tower was lit up brightly, casting its glowing reflection out across the bay of the Jump City harbor with cheery delight. The city across from the structure was just beginning to wake up as the sun rose even further beyond it to the east.

Inside the Tower, the Titans had already been awake and preparing for some time. Sublevel one had been cleared and converted into a workshop, and various tables were strewn with parts of multiple descriptions. Three green clad figures zoomed about the area, assembling what appeared to be… toys. The rapid jingling of bells rang as they zipped around.

One of the green blurs came to a halt and wiped some sweat from his brow. The red haired Fastest Teen Alive grinned as Mas y Menos zipped by to finish the assembly of a robotic dog. Kid Flash held up a blueprint and inspected it as he squinted at the toy on the table in front of him. "Hmm…" he frowned, "I put the washers on in the wrong order on this one." He frowned down at the curly toed boots tipped with bells he wore, "Damn."

"Don't sweat it Kid Flash." Robin walked up to the table, "You've already passed the production goal."

"A little extra stock never hurt anything." The speedster replied, "You guys about ready?"  
"Yeah." Robin nodded, "Thanks again, Wally. I don't know how we could have done this without you."

"You couldn't have." Kid Flash grinned.

"True." Robin called out, "Mas! Menos! Pack it in guys!" as the two younger speedsters came to a halt and blinked at him in a very elf like way (they were wearing pointy ears left over from Halloween… something Kid Flash had flatly refused to do) Robin chuckled, "Santa's little helpers are done for this year… now it's time for the Santas to hold up their end of the deal…"

* * *

The Harold P. Ruckster Orphanage was named after a mildly famous businessman and philanthropist that had set it up before his death twenty years ago. Unfortunately, after he died, his business interests passed into the hands of his well meaning but hopelessly stupid son. The business folded, and the Ruckster Orphanage was left with little to no funding. What little public funding they received went to upkeep of the building, food for the kids, pay for the staff, and all the other piles of bills that came with running a home for thirty-nine children, all under the age of fourteen. It was enough to keep them running, but beyond that there was little else that could be done for the kids.

So it was that none of them had received a Christmas present in two or three years. Some of them hadn't ever received a present for any occasion. As the clock struck 9:00am, the children were all engaged in doing their chores. Since the Orphanage couldn't afford a cleaning service, the kids were called upon to divide the maintenance duties amongst themselves. They were required to put in at least two hours of cleaning every day. They didn't mind so much, since they were taught from day one that in this building, they were all family, and family helped each other out.

So when the matron's voice echoed throughout the halls, they were all mildly shocked to hear her calling every last one of them to the main entrance hall. There was much glancing at one another, muttered ideas on what could be happening, and shrugging of shoulders. They all trooped down to the first floor as one, and when they got to the main hall, all of their eyes grew wide.

Standing there was a the good natured half robotic Titan Cyborg. He was dressed in a Santa suit, complete with a fake beard, and had a huge red sack slung over one shoulder. He was grinning like a fool as they all gaped at him.

"Ho ho ho, ya'll!" he laughed, "Cyborg Santa's here to make your season bright! Who wants a toy?"

It took a full thirty seconds for the first kid to raise his hand. Cy grinned wider as thirty eight more followed it a second later. "Well all right!" he sat his giant bag down with a resounding thud and opened it up. Motioning a little six year old girl forward he reached into the bag and brought out a brightly wrapped present, "Here you go! Now you'll have to wait until everyone has one before you can open it, but let me tell you… it's really awesome."

Standing off to one side, the matron had her face buried in the shoulder of one of the other house mothers, sobbing tears of joy. Behind them, the rest of the staff stood, sniffling and grinning. Some of them were praying to God and thanking him for the Christmas miracle.

If Cyborg heard or saw any of them, he didn't show it. His attention was fully on the wildly grinning children who crowded around him, thanking him and waiting for him to hand them a present.

* * *

At the Fair View Nursing home, there were a grand total of forty-three men and woman who had no family left. They were either the last of their lines, or they'd been forgotten and pushed to the wayside by uncaring, unfeeling children, siblings or other family. They had no one, and they had no money, time or energy to get each other presents.

At lunch time, the large double doors to the cafeteria flew open and a joyful shout was heard from the threshold, "Greetings venerable Earthlings! Star Santa has come to deliver onto you presents of the most wonderful quality and verity!"

Starfire wore a uniform that looked much like her normal one, but in red with fluffy white trim. A Santa hat flopped about on her head, and she clomped big black boots on the floor as she landed. Over her shoulder was slung a sack of presents that seemed far too large for her girlish frame to carry, and as she deposited it on the ground with a thump, it shook the whole room.

"Now then!" she looked around the room, "Who would like to be first?"

The hands of every single male resident shot into the air.

* * *

"There's no such thing as miniature reindeer." A young bald child said to another as they sat on their cots in the children's ward of Jump City General Hospital, "They're either full sized, or not at all."

"Whatever." His counterpart replied with a wave of his hand, "The story says that Santa has eight miniature reindeer. That's how it is."

"Dude, listen to yourself!" the first boy waved his arms around, "You're going to believe some stupid Christmas story over the real, hard facts?" shook his head, "Santa would have to use full sized deer, just because his sleigh is way to heavy to pull otherwise!"

"I'm telling you, they're miniature!"

"They are not! There's no such thing!"

The second boys eyes grew wide suddenly and he pointed over his friend's shoulder, "Then what do you call that?"

Both boys turned, along with the other seven children that sat with them in the section of the ward where those patients receiving massive financial assistance because they're families couldn't afford the cost of their treatment resided. There, in the doorway to the ward, was a miniature reindeer.

A green miniature reindeer, with several sacks of presents slung across his back.

The deer stared at them for a moment, then became a green elf dressed in a Santa suit. He grinned a grin that exposed his one protruding fang, and called out, "Hey! Who wants presents?"

There was a cheer from the kids, and Beast Boy walked in, dragging his bags behind him.

* * *

The people of the East End housing projects had never seen anything quite like it before. A huge floating black disk of energy, supporting a massive sleigh flew through the air on a direct course for the intersection of Pine Street and Clements Avenue, which was largely considered to be the main drag through this part of town.

As the huge red sled lowered to the ground, people started to gather around it. The first thing they noticed was that it was brimming with wrapped packages. The second thing they noticed was the cloaked figure standing atop it.

Raven's robes blew in the chill December wind, still blue, but trimmed with white fur. Her hood was pulled up, but she gave the people below her a soft stare without her eyes glowing with her unworldly power.

"Have the children gather 'round." She called in a soft, but clear voice, "I have presents for them. Just remember…" one side of her mouth curled into a soft smile, "I know who's been naughty and who's been nice…"

* * *

Night had come to Jump City. The Titans had spread joy and happiness all throughout the town, and many, many unfortunates were going to have a merry Christmas thanks to the efforts of the teen heroes.

Still, there were some kids who weren't going to get anything come Christmas Day. One such child was Henry Gilbert. He was nine, and he lived with his dad. His mother had died three years before, and it was all his pop could do to keep working and trying to support him. They lived in an old run down house, and they didn't have much money. Henry's father was too proud to accept help, so this Christmas, just like the last two, he was going without presents.

Henry was sleeping on the couch, having dozed off there waiting for his dad to get home from work. A small noise startled him awake, and he looked around in a daze until he saw what had woken him.

A slim figure dressed like Santa, but wearing a black eye mask crouched next to the fake Christmas tree. He was placing present after present under its plastic bows, and as Henry opened his mouth to say something, the Titan Father-Christmas turned to him and motioned for him to stay silent.

"Your Dad got home almost an hour ago." Robin whispered, "He's sleeping in his room."

"Are you real?" the boy asked in awe.

"Sure am." Robin nodded with a light smile, "These presents are for both you and your father. I have to move on to another house now, but you enjoy these. Know that times will get better soon." Robin paused at the open window he'd come in through, "Oh, and Henry? Tell your dad that he should apply for that promotion at the Wayne Recycling plant he works at. I'm pretty sure he'll get it."

"I will." Henry nodded, "Thanks, Mr. Titan."

"You," Robin winked, "are very welcome."

With a swish of red and white cape, he was gone.


	5. Red Handed and Red Nosed

Titans-A-Wassailing

Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

* * *

Red Handed and Red Nosed

* * *

A crunching sound filled the main room of Titans Tower, followed shortly by a slurping noise. A slightly orgasmic sounding 'mmmhmmm' followed, and there came a rustling of fabric before more crunching.

The lights suddenly switched on.

Robin stared across the room from the light switch at Raven. The dark Titan stood next to the table the Christmas cookies and milk were set up on for Santa. Her hood was pushed back, her cheeks were bulged out, and crumbs littered her lips, chin and the front of her leotard. The glass of milk was clutched firmly in one hand, and the last half eaten cookie was in the other. She stared back at Robin with wide, violet eyes.

A hard gulp later and another slurp of the milk, and Raven looked almost normal. She brushed some of the crumbs off her face and looked back at her leader.

"What," Robin asked, a fair amount of mirth evident in his voice, "the _hell_ are you doing?"

Raven looked at him passively for a moment, then blinked. "I'm helping to maintain Beast Boy's childish fantasy about a fat man in a red suit delivering presents."

The Boy Wonder almost laughed. Almost, "Raven, BB hasn't believed in Santa since he was six. We talked about it once."

Raven blinked again, and waved a hand at him, "He still believes."

"No, he doesn't."

Red eyes burned across the room at him, "_Yes_, he _does_, Richard."

Robin didn't seem fazed by the demonic manifestation, "Whatever." He rolled his eyes behind his mask.

Raven looked at the last bit of cookie in her hand as her eyes became normal again, "Besides… these cookies are divine. Where did you get them?"

"An old gentleman's gentleman that I know." He grinned.

"Alfred made 'em huh?" Raven glanced at him, then gave in to her craving and shoved the last bite into her mouth. She moaned again and slurped some more milk, "Oo hav ta inna-duce uhs soomtiem…" she said around a mouthful of Christmas treat.

Robin actually laughed, and flipped the lights back off, "We have to up early tomorrow, Raven. Let's get to bed."

"Sure." She was suddenly right next to him, and her voice wafted to him out of the darkness of the room, "Hey, Robin?"

"Yeah?"

"You ever tell anyone about this, and I'll teleport you to deep space."

Robin laughed nervously, "Right."

* * *

Two minutes later, Robin cleared his throat from his vantage on top of Titans Tower. Not five feet away, a miniature reindeer with a bright red nose was munching on a plate of carrots.

A green miniature reindeer.

One that became Beast Boy a moment later, "Uh… heh heh…"

"What," Robin asked, mirth evident in his voice, "are you doing, Garfield?"

"… preserving Raven's childlike innocence by keeping her dream of Santa alive."

* * *

I wrote this in about five minutes. Two minutes ago. Just wanted something little to tide you over while I worked on the longer chapters for this story. They're shaping up pretty good, actually.

-Jake


	6. Jump City Symphony

Titans-a-Wassailing

Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

Opening notes – For those of you unfamiliar with the Music of Jump City Series, this story will make very little sense. For those of you that read it faithfully, this chapter has a TON of hints for the upcoming chapters, as it takes place after the recruitment sweep.

* * *

**A Glimpse of the Future – Jump City Symphony**

* * *

_Dear Mom and Dad, _

_I Love You._

_-Kylee_

* * *

Nightwing looked around at the host of Titans surrounding him in the briefing room. They would need more chairs if their ranks grew any larger. As Arsenal yawned and Wonder Girl scratched at her blond head, he knew he was loosing their interest. He knew why too. If he was truly honest with himself, he knew there just wasn't much going on that warranted their attention. At least not anything they could do directly and on such short notice. 

After all, it was Christmas in just a few days, and Christmas was a time for family, not crime fighting.

"I can see mission details are boring all of you," he waved off the Operator's and Starfire's half hearted attempt to suddenly sit up and look interested and continued, "so I'll just skip to the last item of importance on my list." He looked about at all of them sternly, "I know we have a fight about this every year, but unfortunately it's a necessary one. So… who wants to volunteer for night patrol on Christmas Eve?"

There were groans and exasperated sighs from most Titans present, and Nightwing rolled his eyes, "Come on guys, it's not like it's the end of the…" he trailed off and noticed a hand was in the air, "Yes, Kylee? Did you have a question?"

Seraph shook her head, "No. I was volunteering. I'll do patrol on Christmas Eve."

There was dead silence for a moment, then Arsenal spoke up, "Kylee... hun… it's okay, really. One of us old timers will take the shift so you kids can enjoy your Christmas morning-"

"No, really." Seraph shook her head as she spoke in a slightly subdued manner, "I'll do it. I'm a Titan too, you know."

Raven frowned and looked to their leader, "Dick?"

Nightwing shrugged, "I know you don't want her out by herself, Raven. That's fine. If no one else wants to do it, then I'll work as her partner that night."

There was a beat of silence, then Terra sat up in her seat and raised her hand, "I'll do it. Of all of us Dick, you should be the one to take the night off."

He chuckled lightly, but nodded anyway, "Alright. Terra and Seraph it is then. Sarah? Komi? Either of you want to man the boards that night?"

"I'll do that." All heads swung over to Impulse where he was sitting at the far end of the table, "I don't need as much sleep as everyone else, and if they need backup for anything I can be there in two seconds."

"Wow…" Changeling arched an eyebrow, "The little punk thought of a good plan for once."

"Shut up, Gar." Impulse grinned at him anyway.

"Well, that's settled then. Everyone's dismissed except Vic and Sarah. The three of us have a little party planning to do."

* * *

Five minutes later the three of them were sitting at the table with papers spread out around them. As the Titans CFO, Sarah was heavily involved with anything that required spending a lot of cash, like a holiday bash of the magnitude they were planning. Cyborg was in change of organization and execution, and Nightwing was there to give approvals or veto ideas. 

"So what's the final guest list looking like, Dick?" Sarah asked as she totaled up a few numbers and jotted the sum down.

Nightwing pulled a piece of paper towards himself and read directly from it, "All twelve of us that live in the Tower of course, plus Red-X… er, Brian, Bumble Bee, Aqualad, and Mas y Menos. Lilith said she'd be coming early for gifts in the morning and staying all day, and Robin will be here around noon."

"Isn't he going to be with his family?" Cyborg asked.

"I guess his dad just started a new job as a VP for some company or another and has to be overseas on Christmas day. Jack Drake was very relived when Tim's corporate mentor Bruce Wayne said he'd take the boy in for Christmas. So Robin will be joining us for the party and staying the night. I'll bring him back to Gotham the next morning."

"Sweet. Who else?"

The Titan leader continued, "Speedy convinced Green Arrow to let her come to the party… it'll be the first time she's met all of us, but Roy says she's a people person, so it shouldn't be a big deal. We're still pending Kon, but Clark is a pushover, so it shouldn't be too big a deal."

"So…" Sarah stopped her adding and looked up with a soft expression, "No word from Jenny then?"

The three of them were silent for a moment before Nightwing replied, "No. Nothing."

Silence ruled over the room for several more minutes as each of them became lost in their own thoughts over their wayward team member.

* * *

Seraph sat at the desk in her room, glaring at the math homework she had to complete over Christmas break. Her grade in Algebra had been slipping, and she knew she needed to bring it up, or Raven would cut back on her magical studies. She knew she needed to do well in school so she could be a more effective crime fighter. 

She'd just been kind of depressed lately, and was having a hard time figuring out why.

"Stupid… math." She sighed, "Can't even come up with a good insult for the stupid numbers that do the stupid… stuff… and… Goddess I'm bored…"

A puff of smoke wisped in front of her nose and she looked to the left to see if one of her candles had fallen over and set something on fire. Instead she found herself staring into two huge blue eyes that blinked at her in an innocent manner.

"Ga!" Seraph jerked back and fell from her chain onto the ground. Staring up at her visitor, she breathed hard and put a hand to her chest to feel her own heart pounding, "Holy… you scared the crap out of me Secret!"

The being known as The Secret floated next to Seraph's chair with an apologetic look, "I'm sorry," she whispered, "I always forget that I'm completely silent if I'm not talking." The young girl made of smoke looked crestfallen, "I'll go away…" and she started to drift through the wall.

"No! Secret!" Seraph jumped up, "I'm not mad at you… you don't have to leave."

Secret sniffed, even though she didn't breath and couldn't actually cry, "Really?"

Seraph smiled, "Yes, really. Now come back over here." And the young Titan sat down at her desk once again.

Secret drifted back over, "What are you working on?"

"Math homework." Seraph frowned, "I don't like math."

"Is that why you were so bored?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." Secret looked left, then right, as if she was expecting someone to pop up and scold her, "Um… Kylee?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I help you?"

Seraph blinked at her, "You want to help me do my homework?"

"Oh, yes! Please?" Secret looked excited, "I don't get to go to school, and this looks like so much fun! You and Cassie and Bart are always so happy when you get back!"

"Well, yeah. That's because we're back here and not there any more." Seraph grinned.

"Please may I help you? Victor has had me reviewing many of the Tower's educational prep software that was used when the original Titans were studying for their GED diplomas. I've grown quite adept at all kinds of mathematics… I'm really good at Trig!"

Seraph stared at her again, "You… enjoy doing math?"

Secret frowned, "Is that not normal?"

Seraph was quick to take back her thoughtless comments, "No! It's fine! I just don't enjoy it at all, myself. I'm more of a reader."

"Oh. I see." Secret smiled again. "I would very much like to help you if you'll let me."

"Of course!" Seraph motioned to the paper in front of her, "I need all the help I can get!"

Secret floated over and had a seat in the air next to her friend, "Okay! Where are you? Oh! That is a simple equation. First you must divide both sides by seven…"

* * *

Raven was laying in bed, writing in her journal when Arsenal walked in. He was slightly sweaty from the workout he'd just had and a bruise was quickly spreading across his left cheek. His girlfriend frowned at him when she looked up, "What happened to you?" 

"Brian's fist. He's getting a lot better." Arsenal grinned, "Once I finally got him to take off that stupid Red-X suit and actually fight like a normal person for once, he started improving."

"Well, come over here and let me heal that. No sense in you being in pain." The red haired Titan nodded and waked over, plopping down on the bed next to Raven. He glanced at her as she held a glowing hand up to his face.

"Hey… are you upset?"

"About what?" Raven muttered as she healed.

"Kylee doing the Christmas Eve patrol this year."

Raven shook her head, "Kylee has always been selfless. I'm honestly not surprised."

"So you're okay with her going out? It'll be her first official patrol, you know."

"Hmm." Raven lowered her hand and inspected his cheek to make sure he was healed all the way, "Tara will be with her, and I'd really rather her first patrol be on a day when nothing ever happens… seriously, I don't know why Dick insists on having a patrol anyway. It's the quietest night of the year."

"She's been really quiet lately."

Raven looked up at him, That's to be expected."

"Why?"

"Roy… do you remember your first Christmas without your parents?"

He stared at her for a moment then looked away, "Yeah."

"She's going to be a little depressed about it. All we can do is make sure she has the best holiday she can."

"I guess." Arsenal nodded and flopped back on the pillows, "What's she doing right now?"

Raven frowned at him and swatted his shoulder, "Get off the bed, you're all stinky." She tilted her head to the side and looked down at to the left, where Seraph's room was a floor below them, "And Kylee is doing her math homework. Secret is helping her."

"Your telepathy is growing stronger." Arsenal noted as he got up and headed for the shower, "You didn't used to be able to know what people were doing just from reading them from this far away…"

"I know… working with Lilith has had a positive effect on the strength of my powers." Raven nodded as he walked into the bathroom.

He leaned at the doorframe for a second and stared at her, then smiled softly, "I love you."

She blushed a little. He was good at catching her off guard, "I love you too." And she returned his smile. He grinned a little wider and stepped into the bathroom to shower.

Raven grinned wider as well as she stood up and silently began taking off her clothes. A minute after he'd stepped into the shower to clean himself up, Arsenal got a pleasant surprise.

* * *

Impulse frowned as Wonder Girl shoved some more clothes into her bag, "Why do you have to go, Cassie?" 

The blonde teen rolled her eyes, "Because she's my Mom, you idiot. I may be living here at the Tower, but it's primarily so I can stay in the same school. I would seriously like to spend Christmas with my family."

"The Titans are your family." Impulse pouted.

"Bart…" Wonder Girl sighed, "If you were able to head back to the 31st Century and be with your mom for Christmas, would you?"

He looked away, "I guess."

"See? And it's not like I'll be gone forever… I'm coming back on Christmas Day for the party, and I'll be staying again after that. It's only for a few days for crying out loud."

"Yeah… sure." Impulse stood up from her bed and walked to the door.

"Why are you so bummed anyway?" she asked as she turned back to her packing.

"Just… I'll miss you. I was hoping to have a big Christmas Eve thing with all the Teen Titans… you and Kylee and even Robin if he could make it…"

"Don't forget Speedy and Superboy. Or Secret." Wonder Girl smiled, "Maybe next year, Bart. For now though, I think my Mom misses me."

"Okay… well, we always have Christmas Day, I suppose." He brightened up.

"Yeah…" Wonder Girl smiled wickedly, "And this way you'll have some more alone time with Kylee…"

Impulse groaned, "Will you leave me alone about that? We haven't even had a proper date yet…"

"But you want to, don't you?"

"I'm only thirteen." He shook his head, "Both of us are. Come on, Cassie. Just drop it."

"Okay, okay…" she frowned, "Still, maybe you two should do something together… just the two of you, you know?"

"I'll think about it." Impulse replied.

"You do that. Now get out of here or you'll have to watch me packing my bras."

When Wonder Girl looked back over to see if she'd horrified Impulse, she smiled. He was already gone.

* * *

Seraph stared up at the cloudy sky from her vantage on top of the Tower. She was leaned back, one leg kicked over the other, a white coat warding off the chill December air. Her ears perked up as she heard footsteps walking over, and a moment later, Changeling was reclining next to her, "Hey kid." 

"Hey." She replied. They stared up at the sky for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"So what's wrong? Raven seems to think that whatever it is you have to work past on your own, but I've never been that good at listening to her."

Seraph giggled, then frowned and sighed as she sank deeper into herself once again, "I just… I miss my parents."

"Ah… I thought it might be something like that."

"You did?"

"Sure." He nodded and continued to look up at the sky, "I was only six, but I can still remember my first Christmas after my folks died… and I was dealing with all these new powers on top of all of that… it was a tough time for me."

"Really?" Seraph rolled over a little and looked at him, "How'd you deal with it?"

"Mostly I went to my foster mother for comfort. Rita was great to me… I call her Mom now."

"Wow… that' sounds… really special."

"It is. You know, what you and Raven have is pretty special too…"

"I know… and I do love her and Roy an awful lot, but…"

"Kylee…" Changeling sat up and wrapped his arms around her, letting her snuggled into him as she started to cry, "It's going to hurt for a long time, and no one will ever replace your parents, but you'll have to trust me when I say this… and I really hate saying it… but you kind of get used to it."

Seraph sobbed harder and Changeling held her for almost an hour.

* * *

A few days later found Terra standing up from the couch in the main room of Titans Tower at around seven at night. The other Titans had retired to various pursuits, and Christmas Eve was in full swing. Businesses in the city had shut down for the next day, and the December cold had finally kicked up a notch to almost a freezing point. The geokinetic had decided to dress warmer than usual this night, with a long sleeved black shirt sporting the Titan 'T' that actually covered her belly and a black leather bomber jacket over it. Her black jeans and black boots made her whole ensemble stealthy. She would have blended into the shadows quite well if it hadn't been for her bright red scarf, or her light blonde hair. 

As she checked the gear in her belt pouches, the doors to the upper levels opened and Seraph stepped out, dressed in her standard uniform. She nodded to Terra and muttered, "Time to go?"

"Yeah. How's your flight speed these days?" Terra motioned towards the doors.

"Not too hot." Seraph admitted, "I'm still learning to move faster and maneuver better."

Terra grinned, "I'll fly us into the city then. Come on."

* * *

"So how do you want to do this?" Seraph asked over the wind rushing past them as Terra flew them across the bay on a hunk of rock. 

"When we only have two Titans on patrol, it's best to split the city into halves. I'll take City Sections one through fifty, and you can take fifty one through one hundred. Split right down the middle of down town." The blonde haired young woman motioned with one hand as they made landfall, "You want a ride over there?"

"No, I'll be fine." Seraph floated off the rock as Terra slowed it down and waved, "I'll call if I need anything."

"You do that." Terra reached out and grabbed her hand, "I don't expect anything to happen, Kylee, but if it does, call me first and wait for me to get there before you engage. Raven and Nightwing didn't even want me letting you out of my sight, so let's make sure we play it safe, okay?"

Seraph nodded. "I'll call if anything comes up."

"Alright. Move out." Terra grinned and swooped off to start her rounds of City Section one. Seraph nodded and flew off into the night.

* * *

As she looked down over City Section sixty-six, Seraph saw a dark form moving about a rooftop on a sky scraper. Flying over, she flipped on the lights on the back of her gloves and shined them at the figure. 

Red-X held up a hand to ward off the bright light and waved at her, "Turn that down, will ya' kid?"

Seraph turned off the lights and landed next to him, "Hey Brian. What's up?"

"Christmas shopping." The thief replied, "A few days ago Dick casually mentioned he wanted some papers from the office of one of the big time media moguls in the Diamatech International building." He waved a stack of documents at her, "Figured I'd put a bow on 'em and leave 'em under the tree at the Tower."

Seraph giggled, "You're silly." She lifted off the rooftop and into the air, "Are you going to be out much later?"

"Naw. Even I usually take Christmas off." He saluted, "I'm headed home. Tara told me you'd be out tonight though, so I planned on staying up late watching stupid Christmas cartoons. If you need help-"

"I know your number. Thanks Brian." Seraph waved as she flew off towards the next City Section in her patrol rout, "See you tomorrow!"

* * *

It was just after midnight when Seraph got to City Section ninety-four. It was out on the outskirts of the city, near they desert that bordered it on it's east side. Made up mostly of warehouses and dilapidated office buildings, this part of town was bad, but not the worst part (which was down in the south part of town, nearer to the docks.) 

As she stifled a yawn, she scanned the dark streets below for any movement at all. It was with a fair amount of surprise that she actually found some. Two med were hauling a squirming bundle in a burlap sack into an old abandoned restaurant.

Narrowing her eyes, Seraph descended. As she did, she pulled out her T-Comp and singled, "Seraph to Terra."

"Go ahead." Came the bored sounding reply.

"Head to my position. I have a possible kidnapping that I'm going to check out, but I'll need backup to take the men down. I think at least one of them is armed."

"I'll be right there." Terra's tone was suddenly void of boredom, "Do not more to engage before I arrive, Seraph."

"Rodger that." The young girl replied, and landed on the ground as she closed her com and tucked it away. She walked over to the still open door of the place and peered in to see what she could see.

* * *

"Damn, this little bitch is heavy." The taller of the two men grunted as he and his companioning hauled the squirming package into the warehouse and deposited it on a table. He pulled out a gun and motioned for the other man to open the package. 

The shorter man stepped forward and cut the zip tie holding the sack shut. Almost immediately a young girl fought her way out of the bag. She was maybe five years old, with cute blonde pigtails bouncing on her head. She was dressed in pajamas, but that did little to dispel the pissed off look she held.

"My daddy is going to be really mad at you." She declared staring down the man with the gun.

"Yeah?" he stepped forward and slapped her across the face with his free hand. She fell to the ground and cried out. "I don't really care." The gunman laughed.

"Man, stop hitting her. She's just a kid!" the shorter man reached down to help the girl up, "Come on, sweetie. This is just business."

The little girl sniffed once, then jerked her head up, slamming it into his nose. The short man cried out and fell away with a curse, "Ah! Little whore!"

The girl made a break for it, but the man with the gun grabbed her. As he hauled her back, she grabbed hold of his arm, and sunk her teeth into his hand. He cried out and dropped her. The girl wasted no time in running again.

Seraph knew the girl didn't stand a chance of getting away. Terra was on her way, but she couldn't wait. She needed to help the girl before the two goons really hurt the poor child. She ducked out of her cover and was about to call out and distract the kidnappers when the unexpected happened.

The shorter man finally found his bearings and pulled out a gun of his own. Seraph had thought one of them might be armed, but hadn't suspected that both of them were. She glanced around quickly and saw they were in a storage warehouse for fertilizer.

Highly flammable, combustible fertilizer.

"Shit." She muttered and made a dash for the girl even as she pulled her T-Comp.

"Terra!" she shouted into it, "Get here as fast as you can! I'm moving to help the kidnapped girl but there's about to be some fireworks over here!"

_"What? Kylee, don't! Stay back and wait for me! Kylee!"_ Terra's words were lost on the young Titan though, because she'd already dropped her com and scooped up the little girl in her arms.

"What the hell?" the taller man looked confused and glanced at his partner. He gasped, "No! Don't shoot in here you idiot! You'll blow us all-"

The shorter man growled and fired at Seraph and the little girl. Seraph hunched over and turned her back on the first shot, and took it squarely between her shoulder blades. She gasped and stumbled forward even as the next two shots burned past her. They impacted in the crates stacked all around her and the reaction was instantaneous.

As the fireball from the explosion seared towards her, Seraph ducked her head and wrapped herself around the girl, trying to block out her screams. She let loose a sobbing cry of her own as she felt the heat wash over them, then all she knew was blackness.

* * *

Seraph came to suddenly, and blinked her eyes open, trying to gain her sense of direction as soon as she woke up. The first thing she saw was the little blonde girl's bright blue eyes blinking at her. She moaned and sat up, taking in her surroundings. 

They sat in a dark tunnel of some kind, blocked on all sides by rubble and wreckage. The numbers painted on the wall told her they had fallen down into the subway system that ran under the warehouse they had been in. Looking up, she could see moonlight filtering in through the smoke and dust swirling about.

Looking up had caused pain to flare though her body, and she tried to take stock of her injuries as she rasped out to the child, "Are you okay?"

The little girl nodded, "I think so. I have a few cuts, but you look lots worse than me."

"M'okay…" she reached up and touched the skin under her hairline behind her head. Something cut into her fingers, and she jerked them back. Glass. There was glass in her neck-

"What's your name?" she asked the girl.

-bruised ribs, burns on her hands and legs-

"Sarah." The girl replied.

-ballistics layer of her costume had taken most of the bullet, but she was bleeding lightly from that wound as well-

"I have a friend named Sarah… she's pretty, like you." Seraph tried to climb to her feet and found that her left ankle hurt.

-possible fracture, sprain more likely… glass in her neck-

"Are we gonna die, Miss?" Sarah asked.

-trickle of blood down her throat, just swallowed a tooth… chances of survival at-

"No." Seraph looked up again and inspected the wreckage all around them.

-chances for both of them to survive only around 20 percent.

"No, we're going to be okay." And she started to glow with a weak golden light. "I'm going to try and heal a few of my injuries… it's one of my super powers. We have to get out of here soon though. This doesn't look too stable."

"Can you fly?" Sarah looked excited, "We could fly right out through that hole up there!"

Seraph winced, "Normally I can, but I have to be able to concentrate, and I'm kind of weak right now. Plus I can't really carry much weight when I fly."

"Oh." Sarah looked around, "What happened to the bad guys?"

Seraph shook her head, "I don't know… I hope they got out okay, but I doubt it."

Sarah shuddered lightly, and walked over to the older girl. She rested her head against Seraph's legs and whispered, "I'm scared."

"You want to know a secret?" Seraph knelt down, still glowing, "I am too, a little."

"But you're a Titan! Aren't you?"

Seraph laughed, "Yeah. I'm a Titan." She rolled her shoulders and, satisfied that the wound in her back was healed, motioned for Sarah to climb on her. "Here, get on my back. I'm going to try and climb us out of here."

"But… the walls might fall." Sarah looked dubiously over at the piles of rubble.

"I'll use my powers to hold them together where we're climbing." Seraph lied, "It'll be okay."

Sarah nodded slowly, "Alright." She climbed on Seraph's back and held on to her tightly, "What's you name, Miss Titan?"

"Seraph."

"That's pretty."

"Thanks. You can call me by my real name if you'd like. It's Kylee."

"That's prettier." Sarah smiled and held tighter. Seraph winced as the glass in her neck stabbed a bit deeper, but she got up and walked to the wall anyway. Choosing her climbing route, she began her accent.

As she climbed, Seraph continued to talk, trying to keep the child's mind off the dire situation, "You okay?"

"Yes. Can you tell me a story?"

"Sure. Let me tell you about Christmas."

"I already know about Christmas, silly." Sarah giggled.

Seraph smiled as well, "Oh, well then why don't _you_ tell _me _about Christmas."

"Okay. On Christmas Eve… that's tonight… Santa goes to all the houses of all the boys and girls in the world and delivers presents and fills stockings if you hang them by the fireplace. He eats any milk and cookies you leave for him, and he flies around in a sled with flying reindeer." Sarah smiled, "I love that he gives me presents, but I love it more when my Mommy and Daddy give me presents."

Seraph felt her throat tighten a little, "Your mom and dad must love you a lot."

"Only when they're not giving me chores to do." The little girl pouted, then brightened up, "Do you get presents from your Mommy and Daddy?"

Seraph paused in her climb to brush tears from her eyes, "No… my Mom and Dad died a little bit ago." She gulped back more tears, "I live with the Titans now, so they're my family."

"Oh." Sarah sounded like she was very sorry she'd asked, "Do they do Mom and Dad stuff for you?"

"Sure." Seraph started climbing again, "Raven is my foster mother, and Arsenal is my foster father… they're really great at acting like they're my parents, even though they really aren't all that much older than I am."

Sarah giggled again, "Do you love them like I love my Mommy and Daddy?"

Seraph nodded, "I sure do, Sarah. Now… how do you feel about giving presents?"

"I dunno… am I supposed to?"

"Well, that's what Christmas is really all about…" Seraph's hand slipped off an oil slicked bit of rubble and she lost her footing. Her other hand held tight to the fractured beam she was holding on to though, so after only a little jerk and Sarah's arms tightening around her neck, they were safe. Or as safe as they could be with her dangling from one hand twenty feet above the ground.

"Kylee…" Sarah whimpered.

"It's okay…" Seraph reached out her other hand and grabbed a better bit of rubble to hold on to, "I'm not going to let us fall." And she pulled them up with a grunt. As she climbed up on to a small ledge in the wreckage, she paused to catch her breath, then spoke again, "So… Christmas is a time for giving more than getting. It's nice to get things, but what's really nice… what really feels good deep down inside is the feeling you get when you give someone else a gift."

"Why?" Sarah asked as Seraph started to climb again.

"Because then you know that you did something nice for someone… and that they'll appreciate it, even if they don't show it. You know that feeling you get when your parents give you a great new toy?"

"Yeah?"

"They get that same feeling when you get them something they want."

"But what can I get my parents?" Sarah sounded confused.

"Well, when you're young it's harder. Still, after tonight, I'm sure just a great big hug and you telling them how much you love them will be enough."

They climbed in silence for a little while, and as Seraph neared the hole in the wreckage up top, Sarah whispered, "Thank you for saving me, Seraph."

"Hey… it's my job…" Seraph was breathing hard. Her hands were cut from the shape edges of the rubble and her injuries from before were hurting a hundred fold now. Even her back had started to hurt again. She must not have healed it all the way.

"I heard voices!" a shout came from up above them and a moment later, the moonlight was blocked out by a chunk of rock and Terra's face staring down at them with a strained expression, "Oh God… Kylee!"

"We're fine!" Seraph called back, "Take Sarah… I can hold on for a little longer."

Terra lowered her transport rock down as low as she could and leaned way over the edge, "Come on sweetie… I'll get you to safety, then come back for Seraph."

"Alright… are you going to be okay, Kylee?" Sarah asked her.

"I'll be fine." Seraph replied, "Go with Terra and I'll see you in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

Seraph felt Sarah's weight lift from her back, and Terra called, "I'll be right back, Seraph. Don't move."

"I won't." Seraph replied. The moonlight came back through the hole as Terra flew off. The young Titan waited for a solid minute before she heard the sound of something snapping. "No." she whispered, looking down at the rubble below her and the thirty-five foot drop to the ground below, "Just hold on a little longer…" she muttered, but the wreckage had different ideas. As she watched in horror, one of the splintered beams gave way, and the entire wall she was climbing on started to collapse and fall back into the hole.

Taking her with it.

Seraph closed her eyes and willed her flight powers to work, but she was just too weak from losing too much blood. She felt tears sting her eyes again as she fell.

There was a sudden pressure under her legs and on her back and the sound of rushing wind, and then she was being sat down next to Terra and Sarah, listening as the wreckage collapsed the rest of the way into the subway tunnel.

Looking up, she saw Impulse staring down at her with a strained expression; "Kylee?" he asked desperately, "Are you okay?"

"Bart…" she breathed, then reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling him down, she kissed him firmly on the mouth. He froze, his eyes wide behind the amber lenses of his mask.

"Woo!" Terra threw her hands in the air, "Look at 'em go, Sarah!"

"Ew!" the little girl smiled anyway, "Boys are yucky."

As Seraph pulled back from Impulse, she held her forehead against his, "Merry Christmas, Bart." And then she promptly passed out.

Terra grinned, "Alright. I'm going to get this little girl to the police so they can get her home. Impulse, I need you to get Seraph back to the Tower, then wake up Raven to heal her."

"Alright." He was grinning in a stupid manner.

"Just watch where you're running, Lover Boy."

"Yes ma'am." And he picked up his girlfriend and zipped off.

* * *

Slowly, Seraph pried open her eyes. She blinked up at the dull light above her, then over at the still form next to her. She stirred and rolled over, moaning when she felt the bruises from her cracked ribs still there. She reached for the dark figure next to her, "Mommy?" she whispered. 

The young woman stirred and moved forward into the light. Her violet eyes peered down into Seraph's brown ones and she smiled lightly, "No, hunny. It's Raven."

"Wha… oh… no, it's okay… I… I think you're a great mom. Can I… just for now… can I call you Mom?"

Raven sat forward and smiled, "Kylee… yes… I'd love that." And she gathered her daughter in her arms. Seraph snuggled her face into the dark Titan's neck and cried a few tears of sadness and joy at the same time.

They sat in their embrace for an indeterminate amount of time, and after Seraph was done crying, she pulled away from Raven and sniffed, "Thank you."

"Any time, Kylee."

Seraph glanced over Raven's shoulder at the clock on the wall and noted the time, "Hey, am I good to walk?"

"I healed you almost all the way, yes." Raven stood up, sensing the anticipation in her young charge.

"Then let's get down stairs… after I change." Seraph looked down at the tattered remains of her costume, "I need a new outfit."

"Victor has a few spares made for you already. Now come on… you don't want to miss your first Christmas morning at the Tower… they're always fun, even for me."

Seraph nodded and they left the medical wing together.

Mother and daughter.

* * *

Charles Windgates walked to his front door as the doorbell rang for the second time, "Coming!" he called. He assumed it was more well wishers coming to express their joy that his daughter had been found and was safe and sound at home. What he found when he opened the door was a young woman of maybe twelve or thirteen standing on his doorstep looking nervous. She was holding a piece of paper with his address on it one gloved hand, and she tugged nervously at the brightly colored wool hat covering her straight, shoulder length brown hair. Her white jacket and jeans over black boots gave her a picture perfect teen-in-the-snow look. 

"Um…" she looked up at him, "I was wondering if I could see Sarah? Are you here father?"

"Yes… who are you?" he asked, looking a little nervous.

"Oh! I'm-"

"Kylee!" and little Sarah was running past him and throwing herself into the older girl's arms. Seraph hugged her back and grinned over her shoulder at the her father, "I'm Seraph… the Teen Titan that saved your daughter last night."

"Oh! Oh my…" Charles stammered for a moment, then motioned inside, "Come on in! Would you like some hot chocolate or anything?"

"I can't stay… I'm actually going to see someone in a little while. I just wanted to stop by and say Merry Christmas to Sarah… I didn't get the chance before I blacked out last night."

Sarah let her go and held up a finger, "Hold on! I'll be right back!" and she ran back into the house. She returned a moment later with a Christmas card, hand made out of construction paper and markers. She gave it to Seraph, "I made you a gift… 'cause that's what Christmas is all about, right?"

"That's right." Seraph grinned and accepted the card. She took in the picture of herself drawn on the front, glowing gold, then opened it up. Inside were the words, "Merry Christmas!" drawn in a five-year-olds sloppy handwriting, and another picture of herself in costume holding the hand of a little blonde girl wearing pajamas. Seraph smiled wider, "It's the best present I've gotten all day… honest."

"Can you stay for a little while?" Sarah asked with big blue eyes pleading.

"I can't… I'll promise I'll stop by again soon to see how you're doing, but I really have to get going now… I have someone else to see."

"Okay… who are you going to see?" Sarah looked curious.

Seraph smiled down at her sadly, "Some people I haven't seen in a long time. You reminded me just how much I need to see them on Christmas." With that she floated up off the ground, "I'll see you soon, Sarah."

Sarah stared with wide eyes as Seraph flew up into the sky. The Titan waved one more time before she soared off. Charles stepped out onto the porch and lifted her up off the ground, holding her close. "Looks like my little girl made a new friend!"

Sarah nodded, "She's my most favorite Titan ever."

Charles laughed and they went back into the house.

* * *

Seraph knelt on the cold ground and placed the bundle of flowers she'd bought down the street in front of the granite marker. She bowed her head in front of the graves and whispered, "Hey Mom… hey Dad…" 

A chill wind blew past her and she shuddered once. Pulling a scarf from her pocket, she wrapped it around her neck and spoke again, "Sorry I haven't been to see you since the funeral… Raven always tells me I should come and talk to you as often as I think I should but… it's just been too hard before." She reached out and brushed some stray dust off her mother's name, "It's good to talk to you… even if you can't talk back."

She was silent again for a time, her head bowed and her hands folded in her lap. When she looked back up, there were tears in her eyes, "I saved a little girl last night… my first solo mission ever… I don't know if you'd be freaking out about me putting myself in the kind of danger that I am, but I'd like to think that even if you were, you'd still be proud of what I'm accomplishing… I'm making the city safer… I'm helping people, like I've always wanted to…"

After another few moments of silence, she stood up, "Raven and Roy are really good to me, and the rest of the Titans are like big brothers and sisters… it's like having a huge, happy family. Just, one that gets shot at and beaten up on a regular basis." She giggled, "I'm… happy, I think. I have a boyfriend, and a team of really great friends to help me… there's Bart (he's my boyfriend) and Cassie… she's Wonder Girl. We also have Robin… his name is Tim. Then there are the newer ones… Secret, Speedy and Super Boy. I can't wait to get to know them all… I want to know everyone… I want to… to…" she trailed off, and a few tears dripped down her cheeks, "I want to be alive, and happy, like you wanted me to." She leaned down and touched the grave stone that held both of her parent's names and smiled as tears fell from her eyes, "Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad. I promise to come back again soon."

She turned and walked to the entrance of the cemetery. When she reached the gates, a young man wearing black slacks and a long black coat waved to her. She walked up to him and took in his messy black hair and light blue eyes. He smiled at her, "Hey, Seraph."

"Robin." She nodded, placing his voice, "Wow… taking of the mask really does make you look different."

"Heh… call me Tim. I picked up your com signal out here when I was coming in from the airport." He motioned to the black motorcycle parked at the curb, "I decided to come see what you were up to."

"Just… saying Merry Christmas." She glanced over her shoulder and he understood in an instant.

Robin tactfully changed the topic, "You're call number changed on your T-Comp."

"Yeah… it's new. I dropped mine last night when the building I was in blew up."

He whistled a low note and motioned to the bike, "Well, you can tell me all about it on the way to the Tower… the party is starting soon, after all."

"Sweet." Seraph bobbed her head and they walked over to the bike. As she stuffed the spare helmet on her head, she spoke, "Hey, Tim?"

"Yeah?"

"It's good to see you."

"Hey… the Titans are family, Kylee." He gave her a one armed hug before they mounted the bike, "I wouldn't miss Christmas with them for anything."

"Yeah." She looked back at the graveyard, then over across town, to where they could just see the top of the Tower peeking above the buildings in the way, "Family…"

* * *

Closing Notes – It was a toss up between this and Ties That Bind for which I would do as a Christmas story… I decided on this one because the series has been around a lot longer, and I thought it deserved it's own little side story. Questions, comments and gushing praise can be directed to me via the review button in the lower left hand corner of your screen. Click it. You know you want to. 


	7. Blame it on the Mistletoe

Titans-a-Wassailing

A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

Blame It On the Mistletoe

* * *

Beast Boy just _knew_ it was going to be his lucky day.

The annual Titan Holiday Part was on, and guests were expected to begin arriving at the Tower in just a half hour. The green shape shifter knew this was his night; soon the Tower would be packed full of Titans and not all of them could avoid him. So, mistletoe in hand, he was making his way to the doorway that separated the main room from the smaller briefing room, which would be set up as a place to ditch coats and store presents for exchange.

In the early days of the Titans, it had been just the five of them, and getting Raven or Starfire under the mistletoe had always been a challenge. (Actually, Starfire loved kissing people under the mistletoe, but was always very chaste about it, smooching on the cheek, and it wasn't worth Robin's ire to try for more with her…) For a brief time, there was Terra, but that was a can of emotional worms Beast Boy didn't feel like contemplating. Then, after Titans East came on the scene, Bubble Bee had been added to the mix of girls, but she was even more skilled at avoiding him than Raven.

This year though, the world wide network of Titans were all invited. There was at least a dozen new girls that would be running and flying around the Tower, and with that many chances, there was no way he would be missing out on some awesome smoochery this time around.

"Heh heh heh…" he chuckled in a sinister manner (or as sinister a manner as a five foot six inch green elf could chuckle in) and stopped in the doorway. Becoming a gorilla briefly, he affixed the green plant and shrank back to himself. Grinning at his handiwork, he turned to face the main room just as the first guest of the night was walking towards the coat room.

"Hey BB." Speedy said as he pulled off a red coat, "Hangin' the mistletoe early I see…" he paused in the doorway and grabbed Beast Boy's head. The archer yanked him forward and gave the green teen a firm, close mouthed kiss for a full three seconds before shoving him away, "Good to see ya' buddy."

BB spluttered and spit on the ground, "Aw! Dude!" he spit again, "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Across the main room Cyborg and Robin burst into laughter. Beast Boy shook a fist at them, "Shut up!" Just then, Aqualad walked into the main room, chatting with Hot Spot. Beast Boy quickly removed himself from the doorway, even as Robin and Cy laughed all that much harder.

* * *

The key to trapping a cute girl under the mistletoe was all in the timing. When you saw a girl start that way, you had to be in position to head her off. You also needed an excuse to be going that way. Fortunately for Beast Boy, the briefing room was where they kept the spare computer terminals, and he could claim he was checking the City Status report from time to time.

So it was that he was never far from the doorway. By seven the sun was dipping into the bay and the party was in full swing. Opportunity was everywhere, and Beast Boy was leaping at it.

Popping up next to Kole as she went to get something from her coat, Beast Boy nonchalantly bumped into her, "Oh! Sorry there, Kole. My bad."

"No problem Beast Boy." She smiled at him.

He blushed a little and glanced up, a look of surprise coming over his face, "Hey! Look at that!"

Kole looked up, "Hmm… what a strange place to hang a bunch of leaves! The little white berries are cute though…"

Beast Boy stared at her, "Um… Kole? That's mistletoe."

"Oh, is that what it's called?"

"Yeah."

They stared at one another, Beast Boy in a confused manner, and Kole blinking prettily at him. Eventually, BB spoke up, "Do you… know the significance of it for the season?"

"No." she shook her head but smiled anyway.

They stared at each other for another moment before Beast Boy spoke again, "You don't get out of the North Pole much do you?"

"Not really." Kole smiled radiantly.

"That's cool." Beast Boy sighed, "I'm just gonna… check the city status report…"

Kole watched him walk off with his shoulders slumped in defeat with a curious expression on her face.

Across the room, a pair of violet eyes watched him as well.

* * *

"So then he grabs my left arm and-" Red Star's story was cut off as Beast Boy held up a finger in his face.

"Hold that thought dude." He grinned and handed his cup of punch off to the Russian hero, then dashed away quickly. He yanked out his T-Comp as he did, and flipped it open as if he was checking something. As he walked through the doorway into the briefing room, he almost ran right into Argent.

"Whoa!" the British accented girl steadied him with one hand, "Watch where you're running about there, Beast Boy!"

"Sorry, Argent." He flipped his com shut and grinned at her, "Just had an urgent call that I had to check."

"Ass kicking?" she grinned, "I'm there! Where are we going?"

"Uh…" The Plan was suddenly not looking too good, "I don't know yet… I have to check the main computer…"

"Then what are we waiting for?" she shoved him into the room, "Let's check!"

"Uh… okay… oh, look at the… never mind…" he walked to the computer to see if there was any kind of minor crime he could dig up.

As it turned out, there was a police report of a silent alarm going off at a pawn shop all the way uptown. Beast Boy shrugged and decided it wouldn't be a bad thing to show Argent a good time.

As they were leaving they walked past where Raven was sitting in her reading corner, a book open in her lap. As they made it to the elevator, she looked up and followed them with her eyes until they were out of sight.

* * *

Two hours later, Beast Boy and Argent returned. The punk rock girl was excited and flushed from the four robber beat down they'd just gone through, and Beast Boy was chilled from the slightly cold weather. No sooner had he grabbed a steaming mug of hot chocolate however than a certain Boy Wonder was breathing down his neck.

"Report." He demanded as Beast Boy took a sip.

"Nothing much to say." BB shrugged, "We caught the guys in the act, had a brief fight where I mostly stood around and watched Argent cut loose, then tied the guys up and waited for the cops."

"Good work." The Titan Leader nodded with a smile, "File an after action report while it's still fresh in your mind, then get back to the party."

Beast Boy groaned but nodded anyway. Standing up, he walked to the door to the briefing room so he could use a computer in relative privacy. As he stepped past the threshold, he bumped shoulders with someone. Without looking, he knew it was a girl, since his sensitive nose was picking up female pheromones.

He glanced up at the mistletoe, then grinned over at the young woman in the doorway with him, "Why hello there- aw crap. It's you."

Jinx glared back at him, "Yeah, it's me. So?"

He pointed up, "Just my luck to get stuck under the mistletoe with a girl who hates my guts."

"I don't hate your guts." Jinx rolled her eyes, "I just find you insufferably annoying."

"Thanks." He rolled his eyes, "That makes me feel tons better."

"Oh, shut up. You want a kiss? Here." Jinx grabbed his collar and yanked him down a little, then ran her tongue up the side of his face from his jaw to his ear. She pushed him away and walked into the room, "You're all animal like and stuff, right? That must turn you right the hell on."

"Ew." Beast Boy rubbed the spit off his face, "That was gross while at the same time being strangely hot…" Jinx snorted with laughter as he made his way to a computer terminal.

From her reading corner where she'd been joined by Bumble Bee and Robin (who were discussing operational details) Raven watched with a half smile.

* * *

The night wore on for Beast Boy. He earned his yearly cheek smooch from Starfire, but other than that his luck had worn thin. By midnight, most of the guests were either leaving or retiring to their guest rooms. While Robin was up seeing flying guests off on the roof, Beast Boy and Raven were seeing the others out the door of the main room.

"This was great, guys." Kid Flash shook Beast Boy's hand as he and Jinx stepped onto the elevator, "Even if my girlfriend did decide to lick you, BB."

"Don't remind me." The green changeling stuck his tongue out at Jinx, who giggled and looked past her boyfriend at Raven, "I'll e-mail you those spell words for the portal spell when we get back to Keystone."

"Thanks." Raven nodded at her and the two heroes stepped back. As the elevator doors shut, Beast Boy sighed and walked over to the large windows that looked out over the bay. Staring down at the dark water, he frowned and reviewed his night in his head.

"Hmm." Was all he had to say as Raven walked up next to him softly. They stood together in silence for several minutes before Beast Boy spoke up, "I saw you watching me tonight."

Raven nodded slightly. Since her hood was down, her hair bounced a little with the motion; something the green changeling had always found mildly attractive about her. He sighed and looked back out at the bay, "So what did you think? How bad was I?"

"Do you want the nice version or the brutally honest one?"

"Raven, when have you ever given me the nice version?"

She actually smiled a little at that, "Your little plan with the city status report blew up on you with Argent, Kole was just too clueless to try and get any thing from, and Jinx is attached, so you lost with her before you even started." Raven shook her head, "To simplify, your Game sucked."

"Heh." BB nodded, "I've got _no_ Game."

"Hey, at least you tried, right?"

"Tried and failed. Not the best Christmas party I've ever been to."

"Maybe it's not a total loss." Raven turned to him and touched his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" he looked down at her. She was one of the only Titans still shorter that him.

Raven pointed up. Beast Boy was confused for a second, then looked up and saw the mistletoe from the doorway to the briefing room floating above their heads, encased in black energy. He looked back down, even more confused. "Raven, what-" but then he was too stunned to speak or think or do anything at all really, because Raven's lips were pressed against his. As his eyes fluttered shut and he leaned into the kiss a little more, her soft hands reached up and gripped the sides of his face, holding him still as she stepped closer and pressed her body against his for a few moments.

It was over in ten seconds. As she pulled away from him, she kept his forehead pressed to hers. Both of them still had their eyes closed and simply bathed in the essence of the other for a short time. After what seemed like a few minutes and an eternity all at the same time, Raven whispered, "Merry Christmas, Garfield."

"You too, Raven." He replied in a whisper as well. She smiled and he felt it more than he saw it. Opening his eyes, he caught just the tip of her head disappearing into a portal on the floor. Holding out a hand, he caught the mistletoe as it fell from the air above his head, "Huh." He stared at the floor for a moment, then smiled to himself.

Beast Boy walked to the elevator that would take him to the upper levels and his bedroom. With a yawn, he stretched and glanced back over his shoulder at the spot he and the dark Titan had been just a few moments before. As he stepped on to the elevator, a grin broke out across his face that he couldn't control. The doors shut behind him, leaving a silent, still and peaceful room behind.

* * *

Look for more over the next few days. I should have this one finished on the 25th.

-Jake


	8. Silent Night

Titans-a-Wassailing

A Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

Silent Night

* * *

_Silent night…_

* * *

A shadow flitted across the rooftops of Jump City, not a sound echoing around it. The evening of the 24th of December had come and gone, and the night was settling in quickly, smoothing the city in its calm, quiet darkness.

The shadow paused briefly on top of an apartment building and glanced up and across town to where a soft voice broke the stillness with its long, melancholy notes. The song drifted all around the city streets, and the shadow stayed still a moment longer, listening to it repeat the same verse over and over.

With a shake of its body to ward off the chill night air, the shadow ran off again.

* * *

_Holy night…_

* * *

The shadow paused across the street from the First Baptist Church of Jump City, and stared down into the street as the pastor left from a side door after finishing up with the cleanup from the service he'd held that night. The shadow glanced up and down the ally's next to the church, but didn't see anyone. Still he stayed perched on the building top until the pastor had walked the half a block to the parish house he lived at, and was safely inside.

Satisfied that the man was safe, the shadow moved on.

* * *

_All is calm…_

* * *

With a soft rustle of its black cape, the shadowy figure paused on top of a clock tower over looking the City Center Plaza. There was absolutely no one out, and the stillness of it brought a wonderful peace to the area.

With a nod of his head, the shadow fired off a line and swooped further in to town.

* * *

_All is bright…_

* * *

The shadow stepped around the Christmas tree set up in front of City Hall, inspecting it for any vandalism or damage. The brilliant white lights illuminated his brightly colored outfit, lifting the veil of shadow for the first time that night and highlighting the 'R' insignia on his breast.

Not finding any signs of foul play, the Boy Wonder dashed off into the night once more.

* * *

'_Round yon virgin, mother and child…_

* * *

He paused on a tree branch just outside the emergency room of Jump City General Hospital. There were two men standing outside the doors; and orderly and a security guard. They were both smoking and laughing in soft tones as a chill wind kicked past them.

His cape blowing in the same wind, Robin glanced up to a third story window right across from him. It looked into the maternity ward, and he saw there a new mother rocking her new infant to sleep as she lay in bed.

With a blink behind his mask, he threw his line out to the building across the street from the hospital and swung up and away.

* * *

_Holy infant so tender and mild…_

* * *

Robin swooped by the full scale nativity scene in the Westfield Park, glancing briefly to make sure all the figures were still there and that no one had damaged it.

It was fine. He kept moving.

* * *

_Sleep in heavenly peace…_

* * *

Robin landed on a rooftop downtown, smiling over at the dark form of his team's resident witch. Not many people knew it (in fact he was pretty sure he and Starfire were the only ones) but Raven was an accomplished singer. She had a lovely voice, despite her usual emotionless tone, and as she sang the last few notes of her song, he walked over to her.

"Okay, you got my attention. What is it?"

She turned depthless violet eyes to him and gave a slight smile, "It is Christmas Eve, Robin."

"I know."

She shook her head, "Nothing is going to happen tonight. You've covered the entire city twice already."

"Just because it's a holiday doesn't mean that we can slack off. I mean-"

She stepped forward and placed a finger against his lips, silencing him. He was still as she let her hands trail down his chest, then wrap around his body. He hugged her back as she pressed her face against his shoulder. Her voice was a soft whisper as she asked, "Do you remember my first Christmas?"

Robin nodded slightly, inhaling the lavender sent her hair always had. "You told me you didn't care if everyone else in the world was being greedy consumer whores. You wanted nothing to do with the season."

"And what did you tell me?"

Robin's arms tightened around her a little more, "I told you that Christmas is a time for family. A time for love, and generosity, and hope. A time for peace."

She pulled away from him and smiled that soft smile she always gave when she was satisfied that a friend had been reached on some higher level, "Go home, Richard. Your family will want you to be awake enough to open presents in the morning."

He laughed softly, "Okay, Raven. Okay."

She smiled back at him, "I can take you."

He thought about it for a moment, then nodded, "Sure, why not? Let's go."

She swept her cloak up and covered them with blackness. A moment later, they were gone.

* * *

_Sleep in heavenly peace._

* * *

As Robin crawled into bed a half hour later, he smiled. Peeling off his mask, he sat it aside on his nightstand. "Family…" he muttered and looked over at the old poster of the Flying Graysons on his wall. "Merry Christmas Mom and Dad…"

He was asleep in minutes.

* * *

I hope to have one more up tomorrow. Best holiday wishes to you and yours on this Christmas Eve, 2007.

-Jake

* * *


	9. And So This is Christmas

Titans-a-Wassailing

Teen Titans Fan Fiction by Jacob McDonald

Opening Notes – Last one. Happy Christmas everyone.

* * *

**So This is Christmas**

* * *

Robin opened his eyes slowly, and moaned when the light hit him. He held up a hand, "I'd better be getting my ass kicked by Doctor Light right now…" he growled.

"I am sorry, Robin, but I could not wait any longer!" Starfire floated over him, her voice little more than a whisper, "May we wake the others for the opening of presents this Kriss-mas day?"

Robin turned his head and blinked at his nightstand. It was just past six in the morning. He groaned, then realized he wasn't wearing his mask.

Oh well. One more Christmas present for Starfire.

"Star… Kori…" Starfire titled her head to the side as she regarded him curiously. He rarely used the shortened version of her real name, "Come here…"

Star let out a light sound of shock as he reached out and grabbed her wrist. He pulled her down from where she was floating above his bed, and pushed his blankets aside. As she landed on the mattress next to him in the double sized bed, he pulled the covers back up over her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him. Star was suddenly very aware of the fact that he was wearing just a pair of sweatpants and no shirt, and she herself was wearing short sleep shorts and a tank top with no bra. "Robin! What-"

"Shhh." He whispered and blinked naked blue eyes at her, "You can call me Richard." He closed his eyes and rested his head back, pulling her over to him. Their bodies seemed to mesh perfectly, "We'll wait until the others are awake to open presents. Just lay with me here for awhile…"

As she listened to his breathing grow even once more, Starfire blushed tremendously. After a few minutes though, she began to grow more comfortable. Hugging him back briefly, Star closed her eyes as well and bathed in his presence.

She too was asleep again in a short time.

* * *

Beast Boy woke up to a knock on his door. Rolling out of his bed, he remembered too late that he'd slept on the top bunk last night. He hit the ground with a thud and a moan.

A moment later, his door opened and an exasperated sigh was heard. "Did you forget you were on the top bunk again?" Raven muttered as she walked over. He moved his head and looked towards his door. He saw pale toes sticking out from under the hem of a long, satin nightgown. Looking up, he saw the rest of Raven, her hands on her hips, and a robe open in the front doing nothing to hide the slightly low v-neck cut of the top of her gown.

"Um…" Beast Boy blinked up at her, his eyes sleepy and wide at the same time.

Raven rolled her eyes, "Stop staring at my breasts." She said in a way that would make anyone who heard her think that she'd said the same thing more than a thousand times. She knelt down and helped him disentangle himself from… himself, and helped him sit up. He rubbed his eyes and grinned at her wolfishly.

"Wow, Raven. That gown is… hot." He tried to keep his eyes from roaming her body once again.

"I know." Raven's face remained impassive, "I lost a bet with Speedy. I have to wear it this morning while we open presents as his gift to yourself and Cyborg."

"Not to Robin?" Beast Boy stretched, and looked down at his own boxer and t-shirt clad form. He smiled lightly at the muscle tone he was developing.

"I doubt it, though I'm sure Speedy intended it for him as well."

"What? You don't think Robbie will appreciate the view?"

"I don't think he'll be seeing much of anything except Starfire today."

"Heh… he does notice you too, Raven. You can't be that hard on yourself." Beast Boy stood up and she stood with him. He began to look around for some pants to wear.

Raven's tone softened a little, "Thank you, Garfield."

He paused in his search for some pants and moved back over to her. Smiling, he gave her a brief hug, "You don't need to thank me for telling the truth, Rae."

"Hmm." She hugged him back, then stepped back to his doorway, "I'm going to wake up Victor… why don't you head down and start the hot chocolate for everyone?"

"Should I grab Robin on my way? Or Starfire?"

"No… I'll get them both. For some reason, she's sleeping in his room." And Raven was gone with a whisper of bare feet across the Tower's mettle floor.

BB stood with his mouth hanging open for a few moments, then shook his head with a huge grin, "No wonder she didn't think he'd be seeing anything other than Star today…"

A voice that sounded suspiciously like Raven's echoed around the corners of his mind, _"Exactly."_

He laughed out loud and heard a faint chuckle from down the hall by Cyborg's room.

* * *

"Victor?" Raven muttered as she opened the door to his room, "Are you online yet?"

"Sure am." Cyborg's voice came from further into his laboratory that doubled as his room. Raven stepped in and winced lightly. The floors in Cy's room were always just a little colder than the rest of the Tower, and with her bare feet, it was mildly painful. She hovered up off the ground.

"Garfield is getting hot coco ready down in the kitchen… I'll be getting Kori and Richard up later."

"Richard? Real names today, huh?" Cy turned from where he was standing next to his desk and she saw that he held a wrapped package in his hands, "What's so special about this Christmas that we…" he trailed off then smiled a little, "Rae, are you wearing a sexy little bit of lingerie for me?"

Raven nodded, "Yes. You and Beast Boy. It's part of your Christmas present from Roy."

Cy laughed, "What? You loose a bet?"

"Sadly, that's exactly the reason."

"What'd you bet on?"  
"If Kid Flash and Jinx were doing the deed yet." Raven rolled her eyes, "His phrasing, not mine."

Cy arched an eyebrow, "And?"

Raven blinked at him, "I choose to believe that Jenny had more integrity than to sleep with the first guy she started dating after she got out of the HIVE." She shook her head, "I should have known a hormone driven imbecile like Roy would have been able to smell the nymphomania on her a mile away…"

Cyborg outright laughed as he held the present out to her, "Here… I got'cha something."

She arched an eyebrow. The Titans had a tradition of opening presents around the tree in the main room of the Tower every year, but they were also known to give each other additional gifts in private as well. She knew that Robin had given Starfire something extra every year they'd known each other, and she herself had given each of her friends something special over the years.

Assuming this was one of those private gifts Raven accepted it and looked up at him with a question in her eyes. He nodded his approval, and she carefully tore the paper off the box. Her eyes grew wide when she saw what she held in her hands.

"Is this… real?" she breathed as she turned the crystal orb over in her hands. It appeared to be filled with smoke that was shifting around in random patterns, with small images of flame and sunlight peeking through the swirl every now and then. "Victor… this is a Summoning Crystal of Thebes… there are only twelve of them in the _world_…"

"I know. Jinx explained them to me. She had a lead on one that had fallen into the hands of some really bad dude on the East Coast. You know that road trip I took out there to help out Titans East? She came with me and we busted the guy for attempting to summon demon gods or something." He smiled, "Jinx said she didn't have any place secure enough to keep the thing and that you'd know how to put it to better use anyway, so… she told me to give it to you as a gift. Said you'd really appreciate it."

"She wasn't kidding." Raven quickly swept her robe over the orb and hid it from view, "We can't look into it for too long or we'll see our own deaths. Not fun stuff, trust me."

Cy chuckled, "I'll trust you. So that's a gift from Jinx and me. Merry Christmas."

"Oh yes," Raven deadpanned, "Giving me an artifact of Witchcraft that can be used to open portals to Hell is very Christmas-like…"

"Heh. You love it."

"I do." She floated up a bit higher and pecked him on the check. His face glowed with a hint of red and she smiled at him, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now what were you saying about BB and hot chocolate?"

* * *

Beast Boy yawned as he padded into the main room with bare feet. He stretched as he made it to the kitchen, and sniffed the air in an appreciative manner, "Mmm… that smells good…" he paused, "Wait… who's cooking breakfast?"

Turning the corner, he saw a young man with red hair, wearing thick socks, jeans, and a green long sleeved t-shirt. He was standing at the stove, frying eggs and humming. Looking over his shoulder with sparkling blue eyes, he grinned, "Hey Gar."

"Hey Roy. What'cha doin' on this side of the country?"

"Hanging out. Figured I'd grace you guys with my presence this year."

"What about Titans East?" Beast Boy took a seat at the counter and nodded his thanks as Speedy placed a mug of coco in front of him.

"We don't celebrate together. Bee goes back to her folks in New York, Mas y Menos run home to Mexico, and Aqualad swims back to Atlantis where they have this huge pagan celebration."

"Ah. Where do you usually go?"

"The first few years I went home and stayed with Green Arrow. Ollie is great, but his real son Conner came back to live with him from Tibet a few years back. Since then, I don't feel… well, I like Conner, but I just…"

"I think I get it." Beast Boy cut in, "It's cool."

"Yeah." Speedy smiled, "I usually just patrol and have a little dinner, then get wasted and sleep all the next day."

BB gaped at him, "You haven't celebrated Christmas for like, two years?"

"Nope." Speedy shrugged, "Kinda wanted company this year though, so I dropped by."

"Heh… you're always welcome here, Roy." He looked over at the spread of food the archer already had ready, "Especially if you keep cooking vegetarian breakfast that smells so good…"

"Heh." Speedy grinned, "I wouldn't impose like this and not cook for you guys… besides, did you really think I was going to miss seeing Raven in that sexy little gown I picked out for her?"

* * *

Robin opened his eyes for the second time and blinked in a bleary manner across his room. Starfire was breathing evenly as she lay curled against him, and his room was still bathed in a half light from the suns rays peeking through the blinds. He stared as things came into focus, and started when he saw Raven sitting on his desk, a gentle smile on her face.

"Good morning." She whispered, "Happy Christmas, Richard."

"Merry Christmas." He whispered back and attempted to extract himself from Starfire. She held him tighter and moaned a little.

"Don't bother. She won't let go until we wake her." Raven continued to whisper.

"Oh." Robin settled back, "Are the others up?"

Raven nodded, "Yes. And I sense Roy is here as well."

"Oh good," Robin smiled, "I was hoping he wouldn't spend another year alone out in Steel City. He accepted your invitation finally?"

"Yes." Raven frowned, "I had to intentionally loose a bet and wear this ridiculous gown to get him to do it, but he came, so it will be worth it."

"Wow." Robin grinned, "Never thought I'd see the day when you'd sell your body to help a friend, Raven."

"I never thought I'd see the day you were blasted out of your bed by starbolts on Christmas morning either, but hey, sometimes weird stuff happens."

"What?" Robin looked confused.

"Kori!" Raven called loudly, "Robin is groping your Grebnacks!"

The alien princesse's eyes flew open and she shrieked. A burst of green energy later and Robin was flying across the room. After a moment, Star calmed down and her eyes grew wide, "Oh! Richard! I did not intend to… I mean… I do not _mind_ if you want to place your hands on my-"

"Thanks, Kori." Raven cut her off, a light blush coloring her own cheeks, "That's enough."

As Starfire began to blush, Robin moaned weakly from the corner, "Damn Raven… that was cold…"

* * *

"And then the girls all threw their panties at me!" Speedy grinned.

"No way." Beast Boy sipped his coco, "You're a liar."

"It's the truth!" Speedy laughed.

_"I can taste you sweetening that truth, Roy."_ Raven whispered in his ear as she materialized behind him.

"Gah!" he fell off his stool and hit the ground with a thud. Robin and Starfire both laughed a little as they walked into the kitchen.

Speedy laughed as well after a moment and sat up, "Okay, so maybe they didn't throw them so much as… keep them on and flash them."

Raven rolled her eyes, "Close enough."

Speedy picked himself up and whistled a low note as he unashamedly eyed Raven, "God damn, Rae. You look effin hot."

Starfire giggled, "I think she looks beautiful."

Speedy eyed her as well. Star was still wearing just her tank top and her short shorts. "Hmm… I'm so glad I came for presents this morning…"

"Who says we got you anything?" Robin stepped in front of Starfire and poked his friend in the chest, "You just show up out of the blue and expect to have stuff dropped on you?"

Speedy didn't seem fazed, "I spent just under three thousand on you. How much did you drop on me this year?"

Robin glared, "Four grand."

* * *

The Titans had many gift giving traditions. Robin always gave very expensive gifts (no one felt bad about taking them, since they knew he had an almost bottomless supply of money) Cyborg usually gave something high tech that he'd designed himself, Beast Boy gave something imported that he'd seen or heard of in his travels around the world first with his parents, and then with the doom patrol. Raven usually gave a book or two (she'd been known to throw in something magical or just plain weave a spell for her friends) and Starfire always found some way to get her friends something exotic from off world.

The big excitement of the season however, was always between Robin and Speedy. Both being the wards of billionaires, they had access to huge amounts of cash, and therefore already owned everything they could possibly need. The unspoken challenge between them was to find something the other would enjoy without spending over ten thousand dollars.

Two years before, Robin had bought Speedy a mildly battered VW Bug and a manual on how to restore it. Speedy had given Robin the blueprints and notes from his personal (and rather expensive) R&D on a better particle detonation weapon.

The year before, Robin had given his friend the bow used by Errol Flynn in his first _Robin Hood_ movie, and Speedy had gifted the Boy Wonder with a diamond studded Rolex watch. The rest of the Titans had seen him wear it twice.

This year though, the gift exchange would be in person, rather than two or three days after Christmas. Everyone was excited to see what the two young heroes had done this year to try and top one another.

Speedy eyed Robin as the black haired young man handed him the small wrapped package with a wicked grin. "I hope you're smiling like that because whatever this is will appeal to the banal playboy side of my personality."

"You'll just have to open it and find out, huh?" Robin almost hissed.

"You're scaring me." Speedy grinned anyway and tore the paper off. He opened the box and his eyes went wide, then her burst out laughing. Reaching in, he pulled out a necklace and held it up for everyone to see.

It was a platinum chain with a platinum 'R' dangling from the end of it. The 'R' (Speedy assumed it stood for Roy) was encrusted with diamonds and sparkled in the light. "Well," he said, "it'll certainly look good with my other thug-playa clubbing clothes!"

"Thought you'd find the humor in that." Robin smirked as everyone burst out laughing. Except Raven, who rolled her eyes and muttered something about stupid boys.

"Well, I got you something a little different this year." Speedy walked to the tree, grabbed a box and brought it back to Robin. He handed it over and smiled as the Boy Wonder good naturedly ripped the paper from it.

What he revealed made him pause and made his blue eyes grow wide. Speedy's grin faded down to a light smile as he explained, "It's actually something I've been working on for three years now. Took me forever to track them all down, and I had to pay for a few of them. Really I counted the travel expenses in the final price, but at this point… I don't think you really care how much I spent."

In his hands, Robin held a photo album. On the front of it was an eight by ten picture of his mother and father on their wedding day. With trembling hands, he opened it and saw various sized prints from throughout their career as the Flying Grayson's, up to and beyond the point when he himself came into the picture. His eyes teared up as he ran a hand across a photo of his parents holding a four year old Dick Grayson between them.

"Roy…" Robin looked up at him, "I don't know what to say… I mean…" he stepped forward, handing the album over to Starfire as he did. He grabbed his friend in a strong hug and muttered into his shoulder, "Thanks bro… and you can't put a price tag on something that's priceless…"

Speedy hugged him back and locked eyes with Raven across the room as he did, "Dick, you're my best friend… anything for you. Merry Christmas brother."

"Merry Christmas." The rest of the Titans echoed the sentiment, and Cyborg took a picture of the two young men embracing.

* * *

The Titans dispersed around noon. Beast Boy and Cyborg (again, by tradition) went to the main moniter to plug in and play Beast Boy's new video games (which he got more of than anyone thought was healthy, but they did it anyway) and Robin and Starfire went to the kitchen to figure out dinner. Last year it had been Raven's turn, and she'd made Chinese, but this year, since it was Star's turn, Robin decided to help her. She wanted to try something French, so he'd been boning up on his recipes.

"Duck le orange." He mispronounced, "We have a rotisserie, and it's fairly easy to make the sauce." Starfire nodded with a happy smile and they went about preparing the meal, he grinning about how she had yet to change out of her pajamas, and she being happy to be so near to him for the entire day.

Speedy had decided to take some of his presents and his overnight bag up to his room (he had claimed one of the guest rooms as his own since he was out at the West Tower so much) and was stepping on to the elevator when Raven walked up behind him. She stepped on to the lift with him and they smiled at each other as the doors shut.

As the elevator started up, Speedy spoke, "Thanks again for the book, Rae. Franklin is my favorite founding father, you know."

"I do." She nodded, "You told me."

"Did I?"

"Yes." Raven turned her violet eyes to his blue ones and smiled a little as well, "Thank _you_ again for the crystal sculpture." It was of a swan; a guilty pleasure he knew she indulged in, "While the others may have been surprised to know that I collect swan statues, I appreciated it very much"

"Heh." Speedy chuckled, "You're one of a kind, Rae."

"As are you, Roy."

"Hey," he poked her arm, still smiling, "Why is it you let me call you Rae, but not anyone else?"

"Because I like you." She stated mater-o-factly.

"Really? I thought you couldn't stand my insufferable flirting."

"Only with other girls." Raven turned to him and placed both hands on his chest, "Roy?"

"Yes?" he looked nervous all of a sudden.

Raven shoved him as hard as she could and he ended up stumbling and falling against the side of the elevator as it came to a stop. She floated up to him and placed both hands on the sides of his face as she kissed him on the lips. The lights in the hall exploded as the doors to the elevator opened, and Speedy grinned up into her mouth.

"You're taking me on a date tomorrow." Raven told him.

"Yes dear."

"You're never calling me that again."

"Or course, Raven."

"Better."

"Uh huh." They stood close to one another for several more seconds before Raven floated up and away from him.

"Oh, and Roy? Thanks for the gown as well. I like it." And she landed and walked down the hall to her room as she slipped off her robe and let him stare at her lithe body as she swayed her hips.

"Wow." He whispered as she disappeared through her doors, "Gonna be a good Christmas this year…"

* * *

The Titans reconvened for dinner. Starfire and Robin sat close, holding hands sometimes and actually feeding each other. Raven played footsie with Speedy where she sat next to him, and Cyborg and Beast Boy spoke to each other in low tones.

"Dude," BB whispered to his friend, "I think Roy and Raven actually got together or something."

"I am detecting spikes in his body temp."

"And I can smell the pheromones wafting off Raven from over here… and look at Star and Dick!"

"I know. Finally, right?"

"You ain't kidding buddy." Beast Boy leaned back, "So… you think I should ask Kole if-"

"No." Cy grinned, "Try Argent."

"Naw." BB waved a hand, "Toni would shoot me down. Maybe if I call up Bette…"

"Flamebird? The girl who's super power is being Robin's biggest fan?"

"Yeah. She's right down in LA after all." Beast Boy stood up and stretched, "Hey!" he shouted as Cy grinned, "Who's up for Christmas Day board games?"

"Glorious!" Star shot out of her seat, "I shall retrieve the board of Sorry!"

"I'll find the Scrabble," Raven said as she floated out of her seat as well, "I think it's in my room anyway."

"Want me to help you look?" Speedy waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Not until after the third date, buddy." Raven deadpanned and floated away.

"Heh." Cyborg grinned at the red-head, "So you and Raven finally got over all that sexual tension and actually hooked up, huh?"

Speedy grinned back in a nasty manner, "So what's up with you and Karen, huh Vic? Still want to bumble her bee?"

Cyborg stood up abruptly, his face tinting red, "Hey! I think I just remembered where the Monopoly board is!"

"Yeah, run away from the question! That's real manly!" Speedy shouted after him. He grinned back at the other two young men left at the table. "Man, that was fun."

"You're a wretched human being, you know that right?" Robin grinned as well.

"Yes." Speedy replied, "I'm strangely comfortable with that."

* * *

As night set in, Robin excused himself from his team and walked off into the briefing room. He sat down at a computer terminal and punched up a communication screen. Dialing, he waited three rings before the phone on the other end was picked up.

"This is Wayne Manor. How may I help you?" a voice with a British accent answered.

"Hey Alf." Robin smiled, "Is everyone there?"

"Sadly, you have missed Miss Barbara." Alfred replied, "She has gone home to be with her father. How does this Christmas find you?"

"I'm great, Alf. Merry Christmas too you too."

"Are your friends well? Barbara was concerned for Master Harper."

"He's here with us this year."

"Very good, Sir. While I would love to spend more time catching up with you, I fear I have a great many cleaning chores left around this house. If you would like to speak with Master Bruce, you will have to call back on the… other line."

Robin arched an eyebrow, "Already, huh? Okay. It was good talking to you, Alf."

"And you, Master Dick. Have a good Christmas."

"You too. Say hi to Doctor Tompkins for me."

"Of course Sir. Good bye."

"Later." Robin ended the call and punched up another com window, this one with video. A moment later, the face of the Batman, the dark cave he dwelled in framing his face behind him, appeared on the screen.

"Yes?"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Bruce." Robin rolled his eyes.

"I'm busy, Robin. Can this wait?"

"Not really. I just called to say hello. Haven't spoken to you since Thanksgiving."

Batman glared, "I'm busy." He repeated.

"That's fine." Robin spoke bitterly, "I guess Two Face is better Christmas company than your own son." He moved to end the connection.

Batman sighed, "It's Ivy, actually. Killer Mistletoe." He reached up and lowered his cowl, "I'm sorry, Dick. Merry Christmas."

"Heh." Robin looked down, "Raven had to drag me off the streets last night."

"Our mission doesn't leave much time for family, Dick." Batman smiled faintly, "I was actually hoping you'd make it back for New Years this year."

"Big party at the manor, huh?" Robin smiled, "I'll bring my girlfriend."

"The alien?" Batman frowned.

Robin rolled his eyes, "Stop being a jerk. Your best friend is an alien?"

"What?"

"Oh, get over it. You and Clark are buddies and you know it."

"This has nothing to do with Superman-"

"Whatever." Robin grinned, "Now having ruffeled your wings enough, I'll leave you alone. Hit Ivy in the face for me once."

"I'll do that." Batman growled and pulled his cowl back up, "Have a good night, Dick."

"You too, Bruce. Robin out." And he signed off.

As Robin walked back into the living room of Titans Tower, he looked out over his team as they sat crowded around a Mononpoly board. They were all cheering and jeering, laughing and having a good time. They sat close, and passed the play money back and forth with humor and good nature.

"Family." Robin muttered. "I love you guys."

Beast Boy looked up, his pointy ears twitching, "We love you too, Dick. Now get over here… we've already skipped you once."

"Hey!" the Boy Wonder shouted and grinned as he stalked over, "For that, you're all paying double on my next properties."

"Whatever." Speedy laughed, "How's Bruce?"

"Grumpy."

"Sounds like someone else we know." Raven smiled lightly.

"Indeed." Starfire grabbed onto his arm as Robin sat down next to her, "Do not be such a Grump, Richard."

"How could I be?" he asked, looking around at all his friends and smiling, "I'm here with you guys."

They all shared a moment of conpanionabale silence, then Cyborg dropped the dice and pumped a fist in the air, "Woo! Nine! That means I get Boardwalk!"

Everyone imidietly roared in protest and the game played on.

* * *

Outside the Tower, the golden light from the window shown out towards Jump City. As the Titans enjoyed their holiday together, peace and goodwill swept along with the wind, bathing Jump in it's human glow.

Atop a sky scraper downtown, a figure clad all in black save for his skull mask with a red cross splitting it alighted silently. He looked down the forty stories at the muggers he'd just tossed into a dumpster.

He may not always get along with them, and he may not always stay on the right side of the law, but even the feared Red-X was capable of good cheer. Keeping the city safe for one night was the best present he could think of to give a group of kids so close as the family the Titans had built.

"Merry Christmas, Titans." He said to the wind, "May your day be bright and full of joy."

* * *

Closing Notes – Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all that good stuff. Hope everyone enjoyed it. I'm off to do my own Christmas thing with my family, so goodbye for now. I'm glad you were all able to share this little bit of Christmas cheer with me. Thank you.

-Jake


	10. Soundtrack

**Soundtrack to Titans-a-Wassailing**

Chapter One: A-Wassailing – Here We Go A-Wassailing, classic Christmas Carol

Chapter Two: Let it Snow – Let it Snow, as performed by Dean Martin

Chapter Three: Humbug – My Grownup Christmas List, Amy Grant

Chapter Four: From One to Ninety Two – Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, as performed by Nat King Cole

Chapter Five: Red Handed and Red Nosed – Christmas Medley, by Barenaked Ladies

Chapter Six: Jump City Symphony – Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24, Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Chapter Seven: Blame it on the Mistletoe - Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, Randy Travis

Chapter Eight: Silent Night – Silent Night, classic Christmas Carol

Chapter Nine: So This is Christmas – So This is Christmas, John Lennon

* * *

This is the music that I sometimes based the chapters on, or listened to while writing them. I offer this soundtrack as a way of enhancing your reading experience. Thanks again for reading!

-Jake


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